Notes

Irma Stern's South African modernism combined elements of German Expressionism and Fauvism. Her portraits often played on the intrigue and exoticism of her sitters, but the artist never compromised on individual likeness or personality. The symbolic headscarf worn in the present lot might hint at the sitter's religion or background, but her unruffled, intimate gaze is as particular as it is unforgettable.

Provenance

The Collection of the Late Mrs Liselotte Hardebeck.

Purchased by the late owners from Gainsborough Galleries, 1956.

Exhibited

Gainsborough Galleries, Johannesburg, Irma Stern, 25 September 1956 - 8 October 1956.