4 days ago
How the University of Pretoria's lily pond pays homage to Claude Monet
The Monet-inspired lily pond at the University of Pretoria campus.
Image: Supplied
In a secluded corner of the University of Pretoria (UP) Hatfield Campus lies a gem that brought the paintings by Claude Monet, the French Impressionist known for his dreamlike depictions of light and nature, to life, literally.
The campus's lily pond, built in 1960, has since been a place of tranquility and a source of inspiration for budding painters and sketch artists.
In shedding light on the history of the pond, Jason Sampson, head of the Botanical Gardens at the Manie van der Schijff Botanical Garden, said that legend has it that renowned botanist Prof. Hermanus (Manie) van der Schijff, who built the pond, took an unorthodox approach to creating the lily pond.
'After approaching the UP rectorate with a proposal to build a pond outside of his office and being denied permission every time, Prof van der Schijff took matters into his own hands. Plans were drawn up to construct a square pond that could hold several species of water lilies.'
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Students dug up an area large enough in which to construct the pond during the December recess of 1960.
Sampson added that the pond's appearance was inspired by Monet's famous series of lily pond paintings featuring a Japanese bridge and a variety of hybrid lilies with pink, yellow, and white flowers.
Up to 30 species of water lilies were cultivated for Monet, and the pond currently holds an estimated 13 of those varieties, four of which were confirmed as featuring in Monet's paintings. After about 50 years of existence, the pond was in dire need of repairs, leading to extensive renovations being done.
In 2011, full renovation of the pond commenced, with the bridge over the pond replaced with a sleeker and aesthetically pleasing version.
'The new and improved pond was to have a water pump and an established ecosystem, leading to the pond being rebuilt using a wetland ecosystem-based design. The new pond was lined with 1.5mm thick rubber lining, which is as close to no leakages as you can get.'
Sampson explained that the novelty of this lining also lies in its simple repair. 'If a leak does occur, all one needs is a bicycle repair kit to repair the leak.'
The lilies in the pond are currently all planted in their planter boxes to prevent any one species of lily from taking over the entire pond, and an established ecosystem has sprung up in and around the pond. Annual maintenance of the pond takes place every spring.
'While it is a well-known fact that UP has two museums on its Hatfield Campus, one could argue that the lily pond also serves as a living museum that recreates and preserves a similar scene to the one that Monet drew inspiration from and is thus a living artwork. It is also an oasis for wildlife that would otherwise not have a habitat in the concrete jungle that is the city where UP is located,' Sampson said.
