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 1 525
Lot 92
  • Phillip Grieve; Junonia hierta (Yellow Pansy Butterfly) Artwork
  • Phillip Grieve; Junonia hierta (Yellow Pansy Butterfly) Artwork
  • Phillip Grieve; Junonia hierta (Yellow Pansy Butterfly) Artwork


Lot Estimate
ZAR 1 500 - 2 000
Selling Price
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
ZAR 1 525

About this Item

Phillip Grieve
South African 1937-?
Junonia hierta (Yellow Pansy Butterfly) Artwork

signed and inscribed with the title

watercolour on paper
8 by 10cm excluding frame; 26,5 by 24 by 1,5cm including frame


Other lots that might interest you
Phillip Grieve; Salamis parhassus (Mother-of-Pearl Butterfly) Artwork
Phillip Grieve
Salamis parhassus (Mother-of-Pearl Butterfly) Artwork
ZAR 1 500 - 2 000
Phillip Grieve; Cyrestis camillus (African Map Butterfly) Artwork
Phillip Grieve
Cyrestis camillus (African Map Butterfly) Artwork
ZAR 1 500 - 2 000
Phillip Grieve; Acraea satis (East Coast Acraea Butterfly) Artwork
Phillip Grieve
Acraea satis (East Coast Acraea Butterfly) Artwork
ZAR 1 500 - 2 000
Phillip Grieve; Graphium leonidas (Veined Swordtail Butterfly) Artwork
Phillip Grieve
Graphium leonidas (Veined Swordtail Butterfly) Artwork
ZAR 1 500 - 2 000
Phillip Grieve; Precis artaxia (African Pansy Butterfly) Artwork
Phillip Grieve
Precis artaxia (African Pansy Butterfly) Artwork
ZAR 1 500 - 2 000
Phillip Grieve; Junonia oenone (Blue Pansy Butterfly) Artwork
Phillip Grieve
Junonia oenone (Blue Pansy Butterfly) Artwork
ZAR 1 500 - 2 000