Art Rooted in Nature: Day Sale

Timed Online Auction, 7 - 25 June 2024

Botanical Art with a focus on Phillip Grieve
About the Session

Contemporary plant portraiture in South Africa has a rich history, intertwining botany and art. These depictions possess both aesthetic allure and serve as invaluable documentation of the increasingly diminishing natural world. Marion Arnold astutely observes that contemporary plant portraiture is a hybrid genre with a complex history, situated within both botany as a scientific discipline and art as a transformative visual practice.

In this session, artists pay homage to the delicate balance between scientific precision and artistic ingenuity. Phillip Grieves' 29 lots of butterflies showcase a profound mastery of the watercolour medium. They, along with the rest of the session, echo Arnold's sentiment that the true essence of botanical art transcends scientific accuracy. These pieces exemplify the enduring significance of botanical art in contemporary society.


Sold for

ZAR 1 173
Lot 85
  • Phillip Grieve; Acherontia atropos (African Death's Head Hawkmoth) Artwork
  • Phillip Grieve; Acherontia atropos (African Death's Head Hawkmoth) Artwork
  • Phillip Grieve; Acherontia atropos (African Death's Head Hawkmoth) Artwork


Lot Estimate
ZAR 1 500 - 2 000USD 80 - 107
Selling Price
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
ZAR 1 173

About this Item

Phillip Grieve
South African 1937-?
Acherontia atropos (African Death's Head Hawkmoth) Artwork

signed and inscribed with the title

watercolour on paper
11 by 15cm excluding frame; 26,5 by 24 by 2cm including frame


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