
International report identifies Strauss & Co as dominant reseller of works by William Kentridge
27 Oct 2022
As William Kentridge’s bumper year of global museum exhibitions engages new audiences, and ahead of sales of works by the artist at Strauss & Co in Johannesburg next week, a new international report identifies Strauss & Co as art market leader selling works by William Kentridge.
- Strauss & Co offers exclusive insight from global museum curators involved in showing work of William Kentridge in a new series of online conversations from London, Los Angeles and Milwaukee.
- Wide selection of highlights to be offered by Strauss & Co in Johannesburg from 3 to 9 November 2022 with prices ranging from R 20,000 – R 4,000,000 ($1,100 -220,000)
Ahead of upcoming sales in Johannesburg next week (3-9 November 2022), Strauss & Co will host a series of events to celebrate William Kentridge.
These include a new collaboration with London-based art intelligence consultancy Art Tactic to share their in-depth market report on Kentridge, demonstrating the breadth of his work at auction and significant price shifts. In addition, an exclusive discussion with high-profile museum curators involved in Kentridge exhibitions in Cape Town, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles and Milwaukee, giving unique international perspectives on his work will be launched online today.
William Kentridge – growing global recognition
An interdisciplinary artist whose diverse output encompasses drawing, printmaking, painting, sculpture, film and theatre, William Kentridge has participated in over 700 exhibitions globally since his debut exhibition in 1979. The vast majority of Kentridge’s exhibitions (84% according to Art Tactic) have been held in non-commercial settings in museums and non-commercial galleries in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and North America. Trade in his work is nonetheless brisk.
Kentridge is represented by four pedigreed commercial galleries, all with formidable global footprints, and has a solid track record in the secondary market. His work has earned R376/ $20.4 million from 703 lots sold at auction between 2016 and 2022, according to Art Tactic’s September 2022 report on Kentridge. This single-artist report identified Strauss & Co as the largest reseller of Kentridge’s work at auction globally in the period 2016 to September 2022.
“William Kentridge is a prolific South African artist whose works transcend boundaries,” says Dr Alastair Meredith, Strauss & Co, Art Department HOD. “Strauss & Co is proud to have handled the largest number of Kentridge works sold globally, namely 657 works since 2010, on the secondary market totalling R150 / $8.3 million and representing 52% of all works sold on auction, with a sell through rate of 86%.”
Upcoming Kentridge Works for Sale at Strauss & Co in November
Leading the selection of two-dozen collectable works on paper by William Kentridge in Strauss & Co’s November sale is a process drawing from his 2011 animated film Other Faces (estimate R3 – 4 million/ $165 000 – 221 000). The film forms part of Kentridge’s much talked-about museum survey at London’s Royal Academy of Art (RA). Strauss & Co is pleased to be offering the woodcut Mantegna (estimate R800 000 – 1.2 million/ $44 200 – 66 470), another edition of which is currently on view at the RA.
Coinciding with the artist’s broad global 2022 exhibition schedule – including at the Wits Art Museum in Johannesburg (in July), Warehouse Art Museum in Milwaukee and Royal Academy in London (current) and The Broad Museum in Los Angeles (opens in November) – Strauss & Co is pleased to present an exclusive online discussion exploring the challenges and benefits of curating and sharing Kentridge’s work. Convened by Strauss & Co senior art specialist and head curator Wilhelm van Rensburg, the webinar features contributions by, among others, the RA’s chief curator Adrian Locke and The Broad Museum’s curator Ed Schad.
William Kentridge at Auction
In the most recent Art Tactic Art Market Confidence Survey in July 2022, Kentridge ranked 11th in its short-term confidence reading of Contemporary artists at auction, placing him just behind blue-chip artists Sigmar Polke and Georg Baselitz. Experts surveyed by Art Tactic further believe Kentridge’s market will be of high importance in the long-term – he is ranked 9th in Art Tactic’s Top 35 Long-term Artist Longevity Indicator, near Marlene Dumas and Jeff Koons.
Importance of Community
Adds Wilhelm van Rensburg: “Beyond the market appeal of this artist, William Kentridge remains hugely active in the local artist community in South Africa, with the Centre for the Less Good Idea as well as education initiatives supporting future printmakers such as Artist Proof Studio, of which Strauss & Co is proud to support. Among the Kentridge lots we are offering in our November sale is an edition of the impressive aquatint etching Refugees (You Will Find No Other Seas), produced in 2018 by Artist Proof Studio (estimate R600 000 – 800 000/ $33 225 – 44 200).”
Current Press Releases
November
- 2 Nov 2023 Internationally acclaimed but irrefutably South African: Strauss & Co’s marquee summer auction features important works by Billie Zangewa and William Kentridge
- 3 Nov 2023 Strauss & Co Unveils Exclusive Online Sale of Chinese Decorative Arts Masterpieces
- 11 Nov 2023 William Kentridge’s Cat Steals the Show at Johannesburg Auction Week
- 15 Nov 2023 Strauss & Co Unveils Enchanting Online Watch and Jewellery Sales
- 23 Nov 2023 Strauss & Co’s penultimate online auction for 2023 features a focus on Line | Colour | Shape | Form
- 24 Nov 2023 CALLING FOR CONSIGNMENTS: Paintings by J.H. Pierneef and Cinga Samson headline second-instalment of Strauss & Co’s Africa-focused auction in February 2024
- 27 Nov 2023 Strauss & Co and The Nel Erasmus Art Legacy Trust Present Conflux: A Retrospective by South African Postwar Artist Nel Erasmus
October
- 2 Oct 2023 With a focus on Studies and Drawings, Strauss & Co’s October online auction appeals to established and first-time collectors
- 4 Oct 2023 Recently discovered Renoir painting headlines Strauss & Co’s dynamic programme for Toyota US Woordfees
- 9 Oct 2023 Toyota US Woordfees presents exciting Benefit auction featuring established and emerging artists
- 11 Oct 2023 Strauss & Co’s Johannesburg Auction Week celebrates a century of unbroken creativity and invention in African Art
- 19 Oct 2023 Showpiece Renoir leads Strauss & Co’s 111-lot sale of international modern and contemporary art
- 23 Oct 2023 Fresh-to-market paintings by Pierneef, Preller, Sekoto and Stern to be sold during Johannesburg Auction Week
- 27 Oct 2023 International buyers flock to Strauss & Co’s spotlight auction featuring Chagall, Miró and an undiscovered Renoir
- 31 Oct 2023 Moses Tladi and Gerard Sekoto, who opened museum doors for black artists, lead an impressive offering of black moderns at Johannesburg Auction Week
September
- 4 Sep 2023 Strauss & Co Presents a Captivating Auction: Modern and Contemporary Art with a focus on Renowned Artist Alice Goldin
- 7 Sep 2023 Works from important single-owner and contemporary art with museum pedigree lead Strauss & Co’s marquee spring sale
- 12 Sep 2023 Exquisite Selection of Bordeaux and Bordeaux-Style South African Wines to Go Under the Hammer at Strauss & Co
- 21 Sep 2023 Unseen Renoir from South African collection, recently authenticated in Paris, headlines Strauss & Co’s globe-spanning auction
- 21 Sep 2023 Scandinavian designers, French winemakers and a canonical South African painter charm buyers at Strauss & Co’s spring sales
August
- 8 Aug 2023 Strauss & Co’s August online sale covers half a century of South African ceramic art
- 18 Aug 2023 Rare collections of the World's leading wines to be sold as single bottles
- 28 Aug 2023 Highly important Zanzibar portrait by Irma Stern of praying man poised to go under the hammer at Strauss & Co
- 28 Aug 2023 Leading/Inspirational businesswomen, Khetiwe McClain and Jo-Ann Strauss, join Strauss & Co
July
- 3 Jul 2023 Strauss & Co’s upcoming timed online auction provides art collectors with a special focus on the Eastern Cape
- 14 Jul 2023 J. H. Pierneef: Close to Home traces a half-century of innovation and unbroken fascination with the South African landscape
- 14 Jul 2023 Jewels Online: LAUNCH EDITION - Classic emeralds to contemporary designs
- 18 Jul 2023 August Art Month at Welgemeend celebrates the geography, essence and history of the Western Cape
June
- 7 Jun 2023 Strauss & Co’s June Timed Online Auction Features Renowned Contemporary and Early 20th Century Artists
- 8 Jun 2023 Wines from Burgundy & Champagne
- 9 Jun 2023 Rare collections of the world’s leading wines to be sold, together with a uniquely minted NFT, by Strauss & Co.
- 21 Jun 2023 Strauss & Co honours sculptors past and present with a dedicated sale and exhibition
- 26 Jun 2023 Strauss & Co Celebrating Silver
May
- 3 May 2023 Strauss & Co confirms its rock-solid reputation with a catalogue of blue-chip works by South African modernists for its May auction
- 3 May 2023 Strauss & Co's May Timed Online Auction Celebrates Namibian Landscape Art
- 12 May 2023 Rare and Fine Wine from Italy and Spain going under the hammer
- 12 May 2023 From Azaria to Zerffi – an eclectic collection from an art connoisseur family
- 17 May 2023 Rare colour work by exiled south African artist Dumile Feni sells for new world record price at Strauss & Co sale in Johannesburg
April
- 5 Apr 2023 April Timed Online Auction with a focus on Portraits, Heads and Character Studies
- 6 Apr 2023 The 2023 Cassirer Welz Award Winner
- 20 Apr 2023 Important Black Modernist Artists Lead Strauss & Co May Auction In Johannesburg
March
- 2 Mar 2023 Strong results at Strauss & Co’s maiden auction of modern and contemporary art from Africa
- 6 Mar 2023 Strauss & Co’s upcoming March timed online auction celebrates colour and nuance
- 13 Mar 2023 Strauss & Co bring important works by Pierneef, Preller, Stern and Tretchikoff to market
- 23 Mar 2023 Strauss & Co’s strong catalogue of women artists tracks a history of innovation from Maggie Laubser and Irma Stern to Sethembile Msezane and Ruby Swinney
- 23 Mar 2023 Art Nouveau: The Birth of Modern Style with Guest Lecturer, Dr Gregorio Thaon di Revel Mazzonis di Pralafera
- 29 Mar 2023 Record price for Irma Stern at Strauss & Co sale affirms South Africa’s status as the best marketplace to trade artworks by premium South African modernists
February
- 2 Feb 2023 Important Announcements from Frank Kilbourn, Strauss & Co Executive Chairperson
- 6 Feb 2023 Strauss & Co kicks off 2023 with a revitalised programme of online auctions
- 14 Feb 2023 Celebrating Esias Bosch’s centenary
- 16 Feb 2023 Strauss & Co and SANAVA partner on charity auction to secure artists’ studios in Paris
- 16 Feb 2023 The 2023 Strauss & Co Fine Wine Rhône-themed auction is one of our finest line-ups yet, featuring iconic producers from France, South Africa and the New World.
- 23 Feb 2023 Chairperson’s Report
- 27 Feb 2023 Strauss & Co’s Curatorial Voices auction maps the story of art from Gerard Sekoto to Cinga Samson
- 27 Feb 2023 "Art is a human virtue and I have given my whole self to it, for it promotes understanding among races rather than destroys it."—Gerard Sekoto
December
November
- 1 Nov 2022 Irma Stern’s bold portrait of a modern woman presents an opportunity for collectors
- 2 Nov 2022 Strauss & Co presents the most prestigious fine wine collection ever to come to market in SA
- 11 Nov 2022 Strauss & Co’s final live sale of 2022 honours the legacy of art collector, Dr Matthys Johannes Strydom
- 11 Nov 2022 Broad interest in historical and contemporary art underpins Strauss & Co’s solid results
- 18 Nov 2022 Strauss & Co presents works owned by Matthys Strydom, art dealer and storyteller extraordinaire
- 24 Nov 2022 The pedigree of art dealer and collector Matthys Strydom’s collection sees collectors pay premium prices at Strauss & Co auction
- 24 Nov 2022 Strauss & Co’s upcoming November online-only auction offers art collectors a special focus on the Cape
- 25 Nov 2022 Twinkle-twinkle little star, how about some Christmas cheer from Strauss & Co?
- 30 Nov 2022 Norval Foundation Benefit Auction 2022
October
- 11 Oct 2022 Strauss & Co heralds summer with a curated programme of Johannesburg sales
- 13 Oct 2022 Strauss & Co to present the first-ever sale exclusively devoted to Robert Hodgins
- 27 Oct 2022 International report identifies Strauss & Co as dominant reseller of works by William Kentridge
- 27 Oct 2022 Strauss & Co’s sculpture-only sale explores the story of SA sculpture, from past to present