Francois Krige (1913-1994) South African, Oil on Canvas. Signed lower left. South African village scene. Overall Size: 43 x 30 7/8 in. Sight Size: 35 3/4 x 23 3/4 in. Francois Krige is known for Modernist landscape, figure, still life and genre painting. He was the fourth of six children, and his was a well-known family; his father was a famous rugby player, his mother a renowned novelist, and his brother Uys a celebrated writer. In 1927 Krige began his studies at the Michaelis School of Fine Art at the University of Cape Town. After two years he moved to Johannesburg to join Uys, who was writing for the Rand Daily Mail, and was immersed in the world of arts and literature. With the encouragement and support of his brother, Krige continued to take art classes and to sketch and paint in Johannesburg. He exhibited three works in the annual South African exhibition in 1933, before leaving for Europe in 1934 to further his art studies. After a brief visit to England, Krige moved to Valencia, Spain, where he lived for a few months with Uys, and they both learned to speak Spanish. Around December of 1934, the brothers moved to Almeria in Southern Andalusia. In March 1935, Francois and Uys were joined by their mother, Sannie, and they continued travelling around Spain together. Throughout his travels in Spain, Krige carried out a number of detailed studies of Spanish towns, people and market places, and was influenced by the Spanish masters and the atmosphere of the country. #1027