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VVisit the William Humphreys Art Gallery in Kimberley and discover one of the country’s most important art collections. Numerous international pieces are complemented by a collection of South African art that documents our country's journey over the last century. The collection includes ceramics, sculptures and paintings by today’s best-known local artists.
Kimberley is world-famous for its diamonds, but they're not its only treasures. This Northern Cape city is also home to one of South Africa's most important art museums: the William Humphreys Art Gallery.
Over the years, the gallery's collection has evolved from a small, mostly international body of work to one that includes some of South Africa's best-known and historically significant art.
Did You Know?
TThe William Humphreys Art Gallery was the first local gallery to treat cinema as an extension of the visual arts.
TThe gallery was established when William Humphreys, a prominent Kimberley resident, donated a portion of his collection of art, furniture and objets d'art to the people of Kimberley. Known as the Humphreys Bequest, this initial collection was made up of a selection of European and British paintings, furniture and copies of classical sculptures.
TThe Humphreys Collection, acquired by De Beers from William Humphreys' family after his death, and on indefinite loan to the gallery, augmented this original bequest.
With Humphreys Collection at its core, this Kimberley art gallery's focus then began to shift towards South African art. Its next important addition came from Dr Max Greenberg. His bequest included a selection of South African art from his personal collection.
Other highlights at the William Humphreys Art Gallery include the Timlin Collection, also on loan from De Beers, as well as a few smaller loan collections of South African art.
Of particular interest are works by Stern, Van Wouws, Pierneef and Boonzaier. These works document important movements in South African art and tell a unique story about our country's journey over the last 100 years.
The William Humphreys Art Gallery is also home to 247 original drawings and engravings by French, Dutch, Flemish, English and Italian masters, as well as the Meyer Collection of European and Oriental porcelain.
The gallery's current collections policy prioritises South African art and includes traditional artefacts from ethnographic collections. It hosts a dynamic exhibition programme that profiles the work of contemporary South African artists.
William Humphrey’s Art Gallery, Kimberley
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