South Africa boasts a rich tradition of collection and curatorship in arts and culture, with collections of international stature and growing prominence. The curators of these national assets are frequently approached to contribute South African art and cultural objects to international exhibits. The interest extends beyond the national, though. South African collections contain substantial holdings of Western European, Asian and African art, sculpture and artifacts.

Visual Heritage takes the expertise of South African art critics and cultural historians to the broader community, increasing awareness of and access to Africa’s collections of art and cultural objects. Designed as a handy field guide for both connoisseurs and amateurs, Visual Heritage guides the reader in aspects of cultural history and art critique. In full color, the book covers twenty-four of the most important permanent collections in South Africa — selected because they are public or semi-public collections of international reputation,,and together offer a variety of media and traditions. The book equips the reader with the knowledge and skills necessary to visit further collections, galleries and museums, many of which feature in directory entries in the book.