CATCH OF THE DAY
signed A.A.LANGDOWN. lower right
oil on canvas
58.5 x 43cm; 23 x 17in
102 x 86cm; 40 x 34in (framed)

Property from a Private Collection, Cambridge

Provenance
The DinksFãStan Private Collection

Langdown, born in Plettenberg Bay, South Africa, was a graphic artist and painter of landscapes, town scenes, and figures. He experimented with many types of prints, producing lithographs, woodcuts, etchings, drypoints, monotypes, and copper engravings. However, his preferred medium was oil painting. His Daumieresque draughtsmanship earned him glowing plaudits from critics and selection panels. Technically accomplished in both linear and tonal compositions, his social commentary is informed with pungent wit and sympathetic insight.

Langdown began studying art privately under South African artist Katrine Harries (1914-1978). The influence and guidance of Harries is discernible in his work, which always has a firm basis in sound drawing, composition and graphic quality. While continuing to practise art part-time at the Michaelis School of Fine Art, Cape Town, Langdown formally trained as a teacher at the Zonnebloem College in Cape Town. He was involved in the South African schooling system for many years, maintaining a balance between his artistic practice and his passion for teaching.

Langdown's first solo exhibition in Cape Town in 1960 earned him a bursary from the Cape Tercentenary Foundation, which he used to further his studies at the Rijks Academy in Amsterdam from 1963-64. Here he learned many painting techniques and developed his painting style.

Langdown's work was featured in various international exhibitions including the Venice Biennale (1965) and the Sub-Saharan African Exhibition, which toured the US between 1966-68. His works are also part of several overseas and local collections, such as the Smithsonian Institute, Washington DC and the Iziko South African National Gallery, Cape Town.