Archived

Valuation Day at The Marine, Hermanus

23 Jul 2010

A fee of R15 per item will be levied with all proceeds going towards the Enlighten Education Trust. Strauss and Co, worldwide market leaders for South African art, is gearing up for yet another sale on 11 October at the Vineyard Hotel in Newlands.

Managing Director Stephan Welz’s recent visit to Cape Town drew phenomenal responses from collectors seeking valuations and wanting to consign items to the next auction. The turnout netted a cache of top works by Irma Stern, J H Pierneef, Maggie Laubser, Stanley Pinker, Cecil Skotnes, Lucky Sibiya, William Kentridge and many more.
Having recently broken all records for a still life by a South African artist and a still life by Irma Stern, Strauss & Co is set to challenge their own records with Stern’s magnificent Gladioli (R5,000,000 – R7,000,000) painted in 1939.

J H Pierneef’s Koringlande Agter Paarl (R2,500,000 – R3,500,000), painted in 1952, is a rare example of the artist’s Cape landscapes, depecting a Cape Dutch farmhouse nestled amongst sweeping wheat fields. A striking pair of paintings by Maggie Laubser featuring a coastal landscape with flamingoes (R700,000 – R900,000) and a Freestate landscape with blue crane (R600,000 – R800,000) are outstanding examples of her work.

Also included is a rare painting of a bather on the beach by Irma Stern (R800,000 – R1,200,000) and other works from the estate of the late Neville Dubow.

Wheel of Life (R700,000 – R1,000,000) painted in 1974 by Stanley Pinker, vividly conveys the acute intelligence and wicked wit he brings to bear on his explorations of the peculiarities of South African cultural and political life. William Kentridge’s Dutch Iris II, an etching and acquatint with sixteen colours, demonstrates the mastery of the fine art of printmaking that has assured him a place in international collections. Two sales held by Strauss & Co thus far this year bring the total turnover close on R80 million. With two more auctions still to go, Strauss & Co’s annual turnover is set to exceed last year’s figure.

Says Stephan Welz of his last visit to Cape Town: “My day was made within the first three appointments when I saw the calibre of artworks and objects being brought to us”.