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Let Strauss & Co's specialists value your art

29 Mar 2016

Specialists from South Africa’s premier auction house, Strauss & Co, will be providing obligation-free valuations of South African and international paintings watercolours, drawings, prints and sculpture ahead of its Johannesburg auction which is coming up on 23 May 2016 at the Wanderer’s Club in Illovo. If you are considering selling artwork, or would simply like to discover its value, you are welcome to make an appointment and bring it to Strauss & Co’s team of art specialists, who will provide free and confidential estimates.

Valuation days such as this frequently turn up rare and forgotten treasures by some of South Africa’s most significant artists. Last month, a large still life painting of sunflowers by Vladimir Tretchikoff was uncovered at a valuation day in Pietermaritzburg, along with press clippings and documentation of its original sale giving fascinating insight into its provenance.

None of Tretchikoff’s works was bought by public galleries in the 20th century, so most became part of private collections and were never seen again by the public. The Sunflowers, however, was exhibited at a Pietermartizburg tearoom for many years, well known for its collection of contemporary South African art, where it received much admiration from visitors. A correspondent for the Sunday Tribune at the time noted how its owner, who ran the tearoom “says it attracts a lot of interest – it’s so lifelike that many customers want to touch the flowers, painted with a raised technique, to see if they are real”.

Indeed, Strauss & Co specialist Alastair Meredith notes, “Tretchikoff’s paintings typically had very flat surfaces and very little texture.” But he also points out that the technique, combining paint and impasto, is known to be used by Trechikoff particularly in his still lifes. Coincidentally, one of the only Tretchikoff paintings in a corporate or public collection in South Africa presently is also of sunflowers, and featured as part of the exhibition entitled Old and New at the Sanlam Art Gallery in Cape Town in 2003. The Sunflowers is expected to fetch between R400 000 and R600 000.

Vladimir Tretchikoff Sunflowers R400 000 – 600 000

Strauss & Co specialists are highly regarded for their expertise, professionalism and in-depth knowledge of the art market, which allows them to provide accurate, market-related estimates. They take pride in working closely with sellers and buyers, advising them throughout the sales process. Johannesburg-based Strauss & Co art specialists Alastair Meredith and Jacqui Carney will be providing valuations.

Jacqui is a specialist in paintings, watercolours, drawings, prints and sculpture. She graduated from Wits University with a degree in fine arts, majoring in painting, a medium for which she has a particular passion. She worked closely with Stephan Welz, the late founding director of Strauss & Co, for five years.

Alastair, a specialist in the same areas, studied history of art at the University of Edinburgh and at Cambridge University. He is currently working on a doctoral thesis on the South African-born painter Jan Juta, also at Cambridge. Alastair is passionate about researching the individual works he handles.

Strauss & Co is the global leader in the South African art market and holds the records for the highest prices attained 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 81,7%, the highest in the market.

At its March auction held in Cape Town earlier this month, Strauss & Co sold a work by Robert Hodgins, Bad Man with Great Threads, for R2,4 million, more than three times the pre-sale estimate. Strauss & Co also holds the world record for a work by Hodgins, R2,6 million. Other top results included over R1,8 million for a work by Walter Battiss, R1,5 million for a Maggie Laubscher and over R1,1 million for an Irma Stern. Strauss & Co set the world record for a work by Irma Stern – also the record for a work of art in South Africa – when Two Arabs sold for R21 166 000 in 2011.

Press enquiries:
Bina Genovese | 083 680 9944

Johannesburg Art Valuation Day

Tuesday 5 April 2016

Venue:
Strauss & Co
89 Central Street
Houghton
www.straussart.co.za

For an appointment:
Johannesburg office: 011 728 8246
Alastair Meredith: alastair@straussart.co.za
Jacqui Carney: jacqui@straussart.co.za
Susie Goodman: susie@straussart.co.za