Artists

From Albert Adams to Portia Zvavahera, Strauss & Co maintains a detailed database of every artist sold at auction since 2009. Whether it is painting, sculpture, works on paper, photography, ceramics or new media, this searchable database lists by artist every lot offered and provides aggregated data useful to collectors. Famous South African artists like William Kentridge, JH Pierneef, Alexis Preller and Irma Stern are introduced with helpful biographies along with the best contemporary artists.



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Walter Battiss

South African 1906-1982 


In addition to being a prolific painter and printmaker, Walter Battiss was a passionate student of Southern African rock art, publishing no fewer than seven books on the subject in the 1940s and 50s. The elongated figures typical of his art were directly inspired by his large collection of rock art photographs and tracings. In the 1960s his work was characterised by a sgraffito technique (scratching images through layers of oil paint) and in the early 1970s Battiss invented an imaginary artistic construct, Fook Island, which he populated with material culture (a Fook alphabet, currency, postage stamps, passport, etc.). His numerous travels to the Middle East and to various Greek islands were constant sources of inspiration.


1,392 lots offered      80.60% sold      ZAR 88 855 492

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  Including Premium and VAT Results include Buyer's Premium and VAT
Walter Battiss; A Silhouette Figure
16 Sep 2025
Starting at ZAR 130 000
Walter Battiss; Marathon, page from Nesos
18 Aug 2025
Sold for ZAR 18 760
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
Walter Battiss; Two Figures
18 Aug 2025
Sold for ZAR 32 830
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
Walter Battiss; Flying Angels
18 Aug 2025
Sold for ZAR 29 313
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
Walter Battiss; Career Bird
18 Aug 2025
Sold for ZAR 14 070
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
Walter Battiss; Three Female Nudes
18 Aug 2025
Sold for ZAR 3 518
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
Walter Battiss; Mother and Child
18 Aug 2025
Sold for ZAR 14 070
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
Walter Battiss; Marabaraba
18 Aug 2025
Sold for ZAR 11 725
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
Walter Battiss; Magic Sticks
18 Aug 2025
Sold for ZAR 11 725
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
Walter Battiss; Girl with Flower
18 Aug 2025
ZAR 15 000 - 20 000
 
Walter Battiss; Figures in White and Turquoise
22 Jul 2025
Sold for ZAR 211 050
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
Walter Battiss; Landscape with Cattle
22 Jul 2025
Sold for ZAR 44 555
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT