The Pretoria Art Museum came into being in order to house the City Council's growing art collection which had been built up since the early nineteen-thirties. Originally the collection was housed in the City Hall and consisted mainly of the Michaelis Bequest and a small collection of artworks by South African artists.
The bequest by Lady Michaelis in 1932, after her husband Sir Max Michaelis' death, comprised mainly paintings from the 17th century North Dutch school. Among the South African artworks there were pieces by Henk Pierneef, Pieter Wenning, Frans Oerder, Anton van Wouw and Irma Stern.
To represent international art, attention would be given to the acquisition of graphic printmaking from Europe and the USA, which is less expensive than oil paintings and sculpture.
In this way the contact between art from abroad and South African art would be reflected in the collection. The Museum has since been giving more attention to contemporary developments in Southern African art, including urban and rural art, as well as traditional art and new media and techniques in order to reflect the historical diversity of art in South Africa.
Visiting hours:
Tuesday to Saturday: 10:00 to 17:00
Sunday: 10:00 to 17:00
