Perspectives on Africa

Live Virtual Auction, 17 February 2025

Perspectives on Africa
About the Session

Strauss & Co is pleased to present Perspectives on Africa, a sale that explores the complexity, beauty, and fluidity of perspectives through African art and works by artists with strong ties to the continent. The sale coalesces the rich and varied connections between Africa and its artistic expressions, presenting works that span figuration, landscape, and abstraction, inviting collectors to engage with powerful narratives emerging from Africa's evolving perspectives. The works reflect layered meanings, both as a method  of representing depth and dimension as a way of framing our understanding of the world. Work by Contemporary artists reflects on the historical foundations of Modernist artists, exploring themes such as identity, belonging, urbanisation, and re-encounters with tradition, while the sale transitions to Modernist interpretations of Africa, exploring the complexity of colonial encounters, post-independence aspirations, and indigenous practices. Building on Strauss & Co’s commitment to developing a strong local photography market, the sale includes an artist focus on the work of social documentarian Paul Alberts, whose images captured poignant narratives of everyday life, particularly in Cape Town. These works sit alongside David Goldblatt and Zanele Muholi, whose visceral images explore themes of identity, social justice and the multifaceted realities of African life.


Current Bid

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Lot 121
  • Maggie Laubser; Seascape with Woman Carrying Bucket; Boats and Houses in Background
  • Maggie Laubser; Seascape with Woman Carrying Bucket; Boats and Houses in Background
  • Maggie Laubser; Seascape with Woman Carrying Bucket; Boats and Houses in Background


Lot Estimate
ZAR 1 400 000 - 1 800 000
Current Bid
Starting at ZAR 1 200 000
Location
Cape Town
Shipping
Condition Report
May include additional detailed images
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About this Item

South African 1886-1973
Seascape with Woman Carrying Bucket; Boats and Houses in Background

signed and dated '26

oil on canvas
45 by 55cm excluding frame; 61 by 71 by 6,5cm including frame

Provenance

Acquired from the artist by the previous owner.

Stephan Welz & Co, Cape Town, 30 May 2007, lot 370, with the title Filling the Bucket.

Literature

Dalene Marais (1994) Maggie Laubser: Her Paintings, Drawings and Graphics, Johannesburg and Cape Town: Perskor Publishers, cat. no. 576.

Notes

Maggie Laubser’s art reflects simplicity and serenity. Her approach to painting is characterised by an uncomplicated expression of feeling, as she once said, “The privilege of bearing witness to these things in my simple way deeply satisfies me.”1 Her scenes immerse viewers in idyllic, charming places, rendered with technical skill and a deep understanding of colour.

In the present lot, Laubser depicts a tranquil moment by the shore. The scene is grounded by a woman at work, set against a backdrop of undulating water and hills. Floating boats gently drift across the canvas, while the houses appear to float as well. Laubser’s use of colour—blues and greens balanced with deeper oranges and browns — creates a sense of calm and sensuality. The composition, while simple, is deeply effective in evoking a peaceful, harmonious atmosphere.

1 Johans Borman Fine Art (n.d.) Maggie Laubser, online, http://www.johansborman.co.za/artist-biographies/laubser-maggie/, accessed 22 January 2025.

View all Maggie Laubser lots for sale in this auction