A Painting of a Zulu Man by Barbara Tyrrell

Original painting, signed.

Beyond her technical accuracy in capturing traditional attire, one of the most compelling aspects of Barbara Tyrrell’s work was her field methodology.

Tyrrell travelled extensively across Southern Africa starting in the late 1930s—often solo or with her family—in a specially converted, Chevrolet-towed caravan that served as a mobile studio and living space. This allowed her to venture into remote rural areas to document living cultural dress in real time before westernized clothing became dominant.

Fluent in isiZulu from growing up near Eshowe, she engaged directly with her subjects, recording detailed ethnographic notes alongside her watercolour and gouache studies. Her sitters were drawn from life, ensuring every feather, bead pattern, shield motif, and ceremonial garment reflected authentic status and regional nuance.

Because traditional dress was evolving rapidly throughout the 20th century, her comprehensive body of work—culminating in books like Tribal Peoples of Southern Africa (1968)—stands as a primary historical and visual record of indigenous attire. Her original costume studies are held in major public and academic collections across South Africa, including the Campbell Collections and the Constitutional Court Art Collection.

190mm x 175mm

R1,250