Strauss & Co’s upcoming March timed online auction celebrates colour and nuance
6 Mar 2023
Leading auction house Strauss & Co’s current online auction, featuring modern and contemporary art, opens today Monday, 6 March, with a special session dedicated to the theme “Celebrating Colour.”
Art Club
“Curation is a major focus of our online auction programme for 2023, coupled with our newly established Art Club events. These events aim to inform and educate guests, new and seasoned art collectors, and prospective buyers about the secondary market and art appreciation in general” says Bina Genovese, Managing Executive at Strauss & Co.
“During our Art Club events we aim to create a safe, creative, and stimulating environment for art enthusiasts to interact with our specialists and hone their fine art appreciation knowledge and skills.
Our inaugural Art Club event, held in February at our Johannesburg showroom in Houghton was a great success,” she says. “It’s an opportunity for the public to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the secondary market, which may seem daunting to many. Education is a pillar at Strauss & Co and is key to building art appreciation.”
Art Club are live events, held on the first Tuesday of every month, alternating between Strauss & Co’s Johannesburg and Cape Town salerooms. It forms part of Strauss & Co’s commitment to further education and in-person hospitality. During these sessions the auction house’s specialists will also give insights on how to handle your artwork correctly, art world trends and in the upcoming session, encourage guests to embrace their creativity. This month the event moves to Cape Town, at Strauss & Co’s new office and exhibition space in Woodstock, Brickfield Canvas.
Tuesday’s event will see Strauss & Co artists and art specialists Ian Hunter and Kirstie Pietersen take guests through a live drawing session, where they will explain the importance of drawing. Art experts will also focus on the highlights of the online auction.
Modern and Contemporary Art: 6-13 March online auction
The March online sale of Modern and Contemporary Art commences on Monday, 6 March, and encompasses three curated sessions – Art Club, Celebrating Colour, and Impression/Expression. Highlights from this sale include works by Walter Battiss, Paul Weinberg, Irma Stern, Dylan Lewis, Sue Williamson, Peter Clarke, Jackson Hlungwani, and ceramic art by artist Elizabeth Mbatha from the Rorke’s Drift school.
“The auction also has an exciting international flavour, with works from Salvador Dali, Dame Barbara Hepworth, and Karel Appel up for sale,” states Jean le Clus Theron, senior art specialist who curated the sale. The Art Club session kicks off with a photograph from Sue Williamson: Fluctuat Nec Mergitur, The Boat Will Not Sink, Paris (sold at auction for R46 900). “The art industry is expecting some interesting developments around Williamson’s work in 2023,” says le Clus Theron.
“Her first institutional show in the UK, ‘Between Memory and Forgetting’, opened last month at The Box Plymouth Museum in Britain and presents an extended overview of her work dating from 1981 until today”.
Sculpture highlights from the session include a Salvador Dali bronze, Venus à la Giraffe, (sold at auction for R140 700) and a whimsical maquette from Lewis, Sitting Oriental Cat Maquette, (sold at auction for R64 488) which was modelled after the artist’s pet cat.
Celebration of Colour
“In recent years there has been a burgeoning trend towards maximalism in interior design. There is a growing appreciation for independent artists and original art, and a desire to inject personality into living spaces, creating a visually stimulating and eclectic space,” says le Clus Theron.
“We’ve been seeing it for a while in the hospitality industry – hotels such as Ellerman House in Bantry Bay, Xigera Lodge in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, and the Royal Malewane Collection in the Lowveld all boast extensive art collections that enhance the properties’ singular and inimitable approach to style. With Strauss & Co’s specially curated online sessions, it is easier than ever for art lovers to access unique and affordable artwork. We encourage collectors to experiment with bold and colourful pieces in their homes.”
She highlights Zimbabwean/South African artist Grace Cross’s The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world (sold at auction for R29 313) as one of the focal pieces in the Celebration of Colour session. “It’s a celebration of modern motherhood despite its colourful, fun palate, it shines the spotlight on the challenges working mothers must endure, if they really ‘do want to have it all.’”
The session also features two lithographs from Karel Appel’s The Sunshine People Series, that the Dutch artist created in the 1960s. Artworks from this series feature a recurring motif of large, abstract figures, often depicted against a bright background. Le Cheval and Abstract Face (sold at auction for R12 898 and R9 967 respectively) feature vivid, almost childlike colours. They exude a sense of joy and optimism that is characteristic of much of Appel’s work from this period.
Andrew Verster, Norman Catherine, Christo Coetzee, and Bettie Cilliers Barnard are some of the other stalwarts featured in the auction, with contemporary and emerging artists such as MJ Lourens, Katherine Spindler and Bambo Sibiya offering emerging collectors a foot in the door.
Select artworks from the online sale is on view at Strauss & Co’s Cape Town office at Brickfield Canvas – 2nd Floor, 35 Brickfield Road, Woodstock.
For more information about the Art Club, send an email to bina@straussart.co.za.
To view the sale visit www.straussart.co.za.
Updated to Reflect Prices Achieved at Auction
Current Press Releases
November
October
- 1 Oct 2024 October ART - a feast of art, sculpture, lithography and books
- 2 Oct 2024 Strauss & Co unearths rare Single Cask Brandies in a new and exclusive Cape Fine Brandy Auction
- 9 Oct 2024 Strauss & Co’s annual International Sale returns with bold works by modernist icons Chagall and Picasso
- 11 Oct 2024 Strauss & Co Announces an Exceptional Spring Auction Highlighting Stunning Gems
- 17 Oct 2024 Strauss & Co Unveils Celebrating Silver: Timeless Luxury Auction
- 24 Oct 2024 Bidders from 20 countries bring global enthusiasm to Strauss & Co’s International Sale
- 25 Oct 2024 Honouring the legacy of Dr Conrad Strauss
- 28 Oct 2024 Superb portraits by Gratrix, Kentridge, Muholi, Pemba and Stern lead Strauss & Co’s November Flagship Sales
September
- 3 Sep 2024 September ART
- 4 Sep 2024 A peak-period Tretchikoff painting, suffused with beauty and glamour, leads Strauss & Co’s September Auction Week
- 18 Sep 2024 Auction Record for Tretchikoff
- 24 Sep 2024 Works by Chagall and Picasso headed for Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees, courtesy of Strauss & Co
- 25 Sep 2024 Strauss & Co hosts “YGGDRASIL” at Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees 2024
- 30 Sep 2024 LIGHTING UP LONDON THIS OCTOBER: LOOKING TOWARDS FREEDOM – Womxn Artists from Africa
August
- 13 Aug 2024 The Appointment of Strauss & Co's Advisory Board Members
- 26 Aug 2024 Ways of Seeing: South African and International Photography
- 30 Aug 2024 From ceramics to tapestry, painting to photography, furniture to glass, Strauss & Co announces its rich spring auction programme
July
- 10 Jul 2024 Sculpted Narratives: Exploring the malleable qualities of ceramic art
- 12 Jul 2024 Debut Pretoria Auction at Pierneef’s Former Home & Studio
- 22 Jul 2024 Pretoria auction confirms sustained collector appetite for Nico Masemola, Hylton Nel and J.H. Pierneef
- 23 Jul 2024 Together for Pangolins: Charity Auction
- 27 Jul 2024 August Art Month at Welgemeend
- 31 Jul 2024 August ART, with a focus on art from KwaZulu-Natal
June
- 3 Jun 2024 Sweets & Fortified Wine Auction: a rich offering of vintage wines that have stood the test of time
- 4 Jun 2024 Revisiting the work of South African painter Lettie Gardiner in Strauss & Co’s diverse June online ART sale
- 5 Jun 2024 Announcing the 2024 Cassirer Welz Award Recipient
- 9 Jun 2024 Strauss & Co Presents: South African Design, Past & Present - A Celebration of Artisanal Excellence
- 10 Jun 2024 The people have voted: SA artists at the 2024 Venice Biennale come up tops at Strauss & Co’s Johannesburg auction
- 19 Jun 2024 Art Rooted in Nature: A Celebration of South African Art inspired by the Natural World
- 28 Jun 2024 Strauss & Co auction celebrates the heritage and global impact of Eastern Cape artists
- 29 Jun 2024 Single-Owner Private Collection of Fine Wines from Bordeaux, Rhône Valley, South Africa, Italy and more going under the hammer.
May
- 6 May 2024 Art for all Seasons in Strauss & Co’s May Online Sale including a selection of works from the Cecil and Thelma Skotnes Estate
- 7 May 2024 Single-Owner Private Collection of Fine Wines from Burgundy, Bordeaux, Rhône Valley, and More to Be Auctioned by Strauss & Co
- 8 May 2024 A major Stern painting from 1930 leads Strauss & Co’s diverse catalogue of modern and contemporary art at its May sale in Johannesburg
- 8 May 2024 Strauss & Co expands its regional presence, offering valuations, sales & talks across the country
- 9 May 2024 The Diamond Edition Day & Evening Sale
- 17 May 2024 The irrepressible Irma Stern, a star of multiple editions of the Venice Biennale, leads Strauss & Co’s Johannesburg Evening Sale
- 22 May 2024 Two important drawings by William Kentridge, an artist revered globally, at Strauss & Co auction in Johannesburg
- 31 May 2024 Strauss & Co Announces Nature-Inspired Art Auction to Coincide with Hermanus Fynarts Festival 2024
April
- 2 Apr 2024 Myths, Legends, Deities: Strauss & Co explores historical and cultural narratives through art
- 8 Apr 2024 Through an African Lens: Strauss & Co announces sponsorship and event guide to 2024 Venice Biennale
- 16 Apr 2024 Do you know the value of your art? Strauss & Co to host valuation day in Windhoek
- 26 Apr 2024 Reflections on how the 2024 Venice Biennale is an inflection point for change - Frank Kilbourn, Executive Chairperson, Strauss & Co
March
- 4 Mar 2024 Important Collection of original works by 19th-Century Artist Thomas Bowler Goes Up for Auction
- 4 Mar 2024 ART WORLD LEADERS: Marlene Dumas, Irma Stern & Lisa Brice this month at Strauss & Co
- 4 Mar 2024 The Venice Connection: Strauss & Co auction features more than a dozen artists feted at the Venice Biennale since 1950
- 7 Mar 2024 Strauss & Co to offer a highly important Zanzibar portrait by Irma Stern with excellent museum credentials
- 25 Mar 2024 A Collector’s Cornucopia: Furniture, Ceramics & Silver at Strauss & Co
- 26 Mar 2024 Brisk trade at Strauss & Co’s late-summer auction culminates in red-hot prices for works by Brice, Preller, Stern and Sekoto
February
- 5 Feb 2024 Rhône-Themed Auction kicks off first Strauss & Co wine auctions for the year
- 9 Feb 2024 Woven Legacies – Celebrating the evolution of artisanal craftsmanship
- 12 Feb 2024 Strauss & Co Opens in London
- 26 Feb 2024 Strauss & Co is a vital contributor to Cape Town’s pulsating month of summer art activities
- 29 Feb 2024 But is it Surrealist? London audiences will finally get to see and debate Alexis Preller’s audacious symbolist paintings
- 29 Feb 2024 The 2014 Vintage plays the starring role in the Strauss & Co March wine auction
January
- 30 Jan 2024 A special focus on The White House Gallery in Strauss & Co’s online sale showcases rare international prints
- 30 Jan 2024 A new exhibition by Strauss & Co and Kalashnikovv Gallery celebrates the legacy of South African Modernist Alfred Thoba
- 30 Jan 2024 Chairperson's Report
- 31 Jan 2024 Important Cinga Samson painting leads 2024 edition of Strauss & Co’s collaborative African art auction
December
- 12 Dec 2023 Rare abstract and ceramic works characterise Strauss & Co’s current month-long sale ‘View/Re/View’
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