Alexis Preller, SA visual artist, dies

Date: 13 Dec 1975
Updated: 30 Sep 2019

Alexis Preller was born on 6 September 1911 in Pretoria. Before pursuing a career in art, he had worked as a clerk. He left for England in 1934 where he studied art at the Westminster School of Art. He returned to South Africa in 1935 before leaving again, this time for Paris, where he visited studios, galleries and museums. Preller‘s work was hard for critics to classify. It seems to borrow from expressionism and surrealism, though he rejected the latter description for his work. Described by one critic as South Africa’s Gauguin, he was also influenced by Van Gogh and later by Piero della Francesca. Preller was one of the most innovative artists of his time. He died in Johannesburg, on 13 December 1975, from a heart attack.

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How we know this

01Arcyart.com (2011). ‘Alexis Preller - South African Artist, Oil Paintings, Paintings 1911 ”“ 1975’ from Arcy Art [online]. Available at www.arcyart.com[Accessed 16 November 2011]
02Artslink.co.za (2009). ‘Alexis Preller Retrospective at the ISANG’from Artslink.co.za [online]. Available at www.artslink.co.za [Accessed 16 November 2011]

Last updated · 30 Sep 2019

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2011, November 23). Alexis Preller, SA visual artist, dies. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0070058

South African History Online (2011) 'Alexis Preller, SA visual artist, dies', South African History Online, 23 November. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0070058 (Accessed: 2 October 2026).

South African History Online, Alexis Preller, SA visual artist, dies [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0070058, (accessed 2 October 2026).

"Alexis Preller, SA visual artist, dies." South African History Online, 23 Nov. 2011, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0070058. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

South African History Online. "Alexis Preller, SA visual artist, dies." South African History Online. November 23, 2011. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0070058.