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Auction Results – IMPR: Etchings and Linocuts by JH Pierneef

29 Jul 2025

Strauss & Co’s ‘IMPR: Etchings and Linocuts by JH Pierneef’ achieved a white glove result, returning a 100% sell-through rate of all 29 lots offered. 

Pierneef was a master printmaker who produced exquisitely detailed and atmospheric etchings as well as stylised, daring and decorative linocuts. His earliest etchings were made in 1910, while he began working with linoleum blocks in earnest in 1914. 

“We are delighted with the strength of Pierneef’s market. It is exciting that Pierneef’s brand appears so strong with both local and international collectors,” said Dr Alastair Meredith, Head of Department and Senior Art Specialist at Strauss & Co. “Pierneef is one of the country’s greatest artists and certainly one of the most famous. He is an artist who has truly created an iconography that is recognisable to so many South Africans and has built an aesthetic that resonates with countless collectors.“

The auction outcome returned remarkable results including Kruiskerk Tulbagh (Cruciform Church Gable, Tulbagh) (Nilant 6) from 1951, which sold for ZAR 87,938 (including buyer’s premium and VAT), and Huis, Lydenburg (House, Lydenburg) (Nilant 51) from 1910, which fetched ZAR 41,038 (including buyer’s premium and VAT). 

Jacob Hendrik Pierneef, Kruiskerk Tulbagh (Cruciform Church Gable, Tulbagh) (Nilant 6), 1951

Jacob Hendrik Pierneef, Huis, Lydenburg (House, Lydenburg) (Nilant 51), 1910

Wilgerboom in die Somer (Willow Tree in Summer) (Nilant 79), executed in 1925, sold for ZAR 117,250, while Doringboom, Rustenburg Tvl (Thorn Tree, Rustenburg) (Nilant 90), executed in 1936, commanded an exceptional ZAR 293,125 (including buyer’s premium and VAT).

Jacob Hendrik Pierneef, Wilgerboom in die Somer (Willow Tree in Summer) (Nilant 79), 1925

Jacob Hendrik Pierneef, Wilgerboom in die Somer (Willow Tree in Summer) (Nilant 79), 1936

Dr Meredith elaborated further: “What is wonderful about his linocuts is that he played a part in every single aspect of the process, printing all of his multiples from his own press, which means they are not only unique items but are very much connected to the artist. The linocuts and etchings represent a wonderful area of Pierneef collecting, bearing in mind the many idiosyncrasies that come with the medium.“

Looking ahead, Dr Meredith expressed optimism about the artist’s market trajectory: “We expect the interest in his market to continue to grow, and we certainly are nowhere near what is possible for his market.“

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