Tinus de Jongh- The Old Porch Constantia (signed )

SIGNED & TITLED ENGRAVING, original,  The Old Porch Constantia, [14.5 cms x 21 cms], with original mount [3O.5 cms x 4O cms], also original backing board, condition: very good.

Tinus de Jongh was born in Amsterdam and forbidden to study art by his parents. He took a post with a firm of decorators but left after two years in order to study art. He painted street scenes, interiors and landscape in Amsterdam tradition where he achieved local recognition. Tinus de Jongh’s work was purchased by the Stedelik Museum and his painting of the
Alkmaar cheese market by the town itself.

Tinus moved to South Africa in 1921 and began painting views of Cape Town and the Cape. During the early years he lived  at Diep River with his etchings enjoyed a receptive market and were sold through his agent, Louis Woolf. In 1942, prices for his paintings rose steeply following his death his Bloemfontein.

In 1685 Hendrik Adriaan van Rheede tot Drakenstein granted the grounds of Groot Constantia to Simon Van Der Stel, the VOC (Dutch East India Company) Governor of the Cape of Good Hope.

In 1779 the portion of the estate including Van der Stel's Cape Dutch-style manor house was sold to the Cloete family, who planted extensive vineyards and extended and improved the mansion by commissioning the architect Louis Michael Thibault. The wine cellar was added by Cloete in 1791. The house remained in the possession of the Cloete family until 1885, during which period the estate became famous for its production of Constantia dessert wine.