Archived

Strauss & Co Specialists on the Road

31 May 2016

Strauss & Co, South Africa’s premier auction house, is currently sourcing consignments of art and antiques ahead of their October auction in Cape Town. Strauss & Co is the global market leader for South African art. They have sold nine of the ten most expensive paintings ever sold at auction in South Africa and hold records for numerous South African artists. Last year Strauss & Co set 21 new artist records and boasts a sell-through rate, by lot and value combined, of over 80% the highest in the market. Strauss & Co also holds records for Cape and English silver and Cape and Continental furniture.

Strauss & Co experts travel the country regularly sourcing top quality art and antiques for inclusion in their prestigious auctions held in Cape Town and Johannesburg. There is great excitement when they discover rare and interesting pieces destined to achieve unexpectedly high prices at auction.

Fabulous finds by experts on the move include:

• • Vladimir Tretichoff’s Sunflowers found in Petermaritzburg in February of this year sold for R1 705 200 at the recent Strauss & Co Johannesburg Auction on 23 May 2016.

• • Anton van Wouw’s Bad News sold in 2010 for R2.2 million, setting a world record for the artist which was only broken in 2015 by Strauss & Co when Miner With Hand Drill sold for R4.8 million.

• • Penny Siopis’ Cake Tapers was discovered in Natal and sold in June 2014 for R280 000.

Strauss & Co specialists are highly respected for their expertise, professionalism and in-depth knowledge of the market, which allows them to give accurate, market-related estimates. Senior Furniture and Decorative Arts Specialist, Vanessa Phillips, and Art Specialists, Kirsty Colledge and Alex Richards, will be providing valuations of paintings, sculpture, silver, and Chinese porcelain. The cost is R20 per item, limited to a maximum of 5 items per person. The proceeds raised during the valuation days will be donated to the various local institutions and initiatives involved.

	Vanessa Phillips is the joint Managing Director of Strauss & Co specialising in decorative arts, furniture, silver and porcelain. She has worked in this field for three decades alongside her former colleague and friend the late Stephan Welz.
	Kirsty Colledge is a specialist in South African paintings, watercolours, drawings, prints and sculpture. Her academic background includes a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts, majoring in painting, from Michaelis School of Fine Arts and a Postgraduate Diploma in Enterprise Management from the University of Cape Town in 2009. She has worked in the Paintings Department at Strauss & Co, Cape Town, since 2011.
	Alexander Richards is also a specialist in South African paintings, watercolours, drawings, prints and sculpture. He completed his Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts degree at Wits University and was the winner of the prestigious Martienssen Prize for artistic excellence, as well as the Anya Millman scholarship for overseas travel. He joined Strauss & Co in 2014 and has readily embraced the auction world.

Take advantage of Strauss & Co’s experts being in town, you never know what surprises may be in store.

Date and Time	Place	Contact for appointment	Beneficiary
Monday 6 June 2016 9am – 3pm	East London Ann Bryant Art Gallery9 St Mark Rd, East London	Leon du Preez 043 722 4044 dupreezleon234@gmail.com	Friends of the Ann Bryant Art Gallery
Tuesday 7 June 2016 9am – 3pm	Grahamstown The Observatory MuseumBathurst Street, Grahamstown	Amy van Wezel 046 622 2312 a.vanwezel@am.org.za	Friends of the Albany Museum
Wednesday 8 June 2016 9am – 3pm	Port Elizabeth Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum1 Park Dr, Port Elizabeth	Roxanne Bowers 041 506 2000 rbowers@mandelametro.gov.za	Friends of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum
Thursday 9 June 2016 9am – 3pm	Knysna The Knysna LibraryMain Street, Memorial Square, Knysna	Strauss & Co 021 683 6560 ct@straussart.co.za	Friends of the Knysna Library
Friday 10 June 2016 9am – 3pm	Swellendam Bukkenburg Pottery8 Hermanus Steyn Street, Swellendam	Strauss & Co 021 683 6560 ct@straussart.co.za	Swellendam SPCA
Tuesday 14 June 2016 10am – 4pm	Hermanus The Marine HotelMarine Drive, Hermanus	Michelle van Zyl 082 5653 627 michelle@camphill-hermanus.org.za	Camphill School Hermanus

Bina Genovese
Press enquiries
083 680 9944 / bina@straussart.co.za