Johannes Meintjes once said: ‘Mine is the vision ... sprung from the soil of Africa and I have given it in a personal statement which may find a response in the heart and imagination of another generation.’ Johannes Petrus Meintjes was an established South African artist and writer in the 20th Century. At 21, he published a book on South African artist, Maggie Laubser, launching him into his career in the art world. Throughout his life, Meintjes produced over one thousand paintings, dozens of sculptures and even 35 novels. In art galleries, his work was mounted next to the esteemed Alexis Preller, Pierneef, Sekoto, Irma Stern and Maggie Laubser. Meintjes also won several literary awards for his writing before his passing in 1980. Meintjes' art is mainly associated with expressionism and surrealism, and as such the influence Maggie Laubser and Irma Stern had on his work is evident in his use of Laubser inspired compositions and Stern inspired colours. According to his aesthetic principle, the naturalistic ‘law’ of three-dimensions and ‘natural colour’ are less important than the emotional and intellectual impact of the art on the viewer. As such, his style was often called ‘poetic’ or lyrical’, which is embodied in this ‘Still Life with Flowers’.