Portrait of Etienne le Roux Banned Visionary of the Sestigers, Captured by Marcella de Boom (1982)
Only known live-sitting portrait of Etienne le Rouxbanned visionary of the Sestigerscaptured by Marcella de Boom in 1982.
This portrait captures Etienne le Roux, a leading figure of the Sestigersan underground literary movement that defied apartheid through radical prose and poetic rebellion.
The Sestigers transformed Afrikaans from a nationalist instrument into a language of resistance, confronting censorship, sexual taboos, and political injustice.
Le Rouxs surrealist novels, banned and praised in equal measure, helped redefine South African literature.
This portrait, drawn from life in 1982, is a rare visual echo of that cultural revolt.
Sunglasses removed at artists request.
Etienne le Roux was rarely seen without his signature black sunglassesan intentional mask that became part of his myth.
In this 1982 live-sitting portrait, Marcella de Boom requested he remove them. He obliged. His pale blue eyes, almost never recorded, are exposed here for the first and only time.
This moment of trust, captured in charcoal and silence, makes the portrait not just rarebut singular.
Signed, inscribed, framed.
Medium: Charcoal, Pencil & colour on Paper
Framing: Professionally framed (included)
Estimated Unframed Size: A3 (approx. 297 × 420 mm)
Status: Signed, Dated, Inscribed
Provenance: Verified Live Sitting, Onrus River, Western Cape
Why This Artwork Matters
This is a singular survivor artifactthe only known portrait of Etienne le Roux created during a verified live sitting.
In 1982, artist Marcella de Boom captured the reclusive literary icon in a moment of profound vulnerability.
At her request, Le Roux removed his iconic black sunglasses, exposing his piercing blue eyes for the first and only time in recorded portraiture.
Marcellas strokeslayered in charcoal, pencil, and watercolor (or colour pastal pens)render Le Roux with forensic precision and poetic restraint.
The work is signed Marcella 82 and inscribed Skrywer Etienne le Roux.
This is not just a portrait. It is a moment of trust, myth, and emotional exposurerendered by an artist whose legacy continues to echo across South African and international art circles.
Provenance & Benchmarking
- Verified Live Sitting: Backed by Marcellas handwritten Afrikaans note confirming the 1982 Onrus River session
- Symbolic Unmasking: Le Roux removed his sunglasseshis symbolic shieldat Marcellas request
- No Other Known Live Portraits:
- Stef Terblanches oil portrait lacks any documented live engagement .
- No other written provenance, artist statement, or historical reference confirms a live sitting with Le Roux.
About the Artist Marcella de Boom (19452009)
- Education: University of Pretoria; studied under Gunther van der Reis and Norman Daly (USA)
- Mediums: Acrylic, watercolour, ciment fondu, ceramics
- Philosophy:
> I look upon my watercolours as poems The acrylics are like novels.
- Awards:
- Western Cape Regional Arts Prize (1978, 1983)
- Finalist, South African National Portrait Awards (1985)
- Commissioned by Stellenbosch Literary Festival (1986)
- Exhibitions:
- Times of Light (2005, Association of Arts Pretoria)
- Final solo show at Aldebran Studio, Cullinan (May 2009)
- International exhibitions in Germany, Namibia, and Australia
- Legacy: She lived and worked in a self-built cobhouse studio, listening to Bach each morning to purify the soul.
About Etienne le Roux (19221989)
- Full Name: Stephanus Petrus Daniël le Roux
- Movement: Sestigers avant-garde Afrikaans literary revolution
- Notable Works:
- Sewe dae by die Silbersteins (1962) Hertzog Prize
- Een vir Azazel (1964) Translated as One for the Devil
- Magersfontein, o Magersfontein! (1976) CNA & Hertzog Prize
- Themes: Surrealism, satire, mythic Afrikaner critique, existentialism
- Legacy: His work was banned under apartheid for its subversive depth. Graham Greene wrote:
> The rumour spreads that here an addition will be found to the literature of our time.
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