Evening Sale

Live Virtual Auction, 16 September 2025

Evening Sale: Modern and Contemporary Art

Current Bid

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Lot 393
  • William Kentridge; Universal Archive (Horse)
  • William Kentridge; Universal Archive (Horse)
  • William Kentridge; Universal Archive (Horse)


Lot Estimate
ZAR 200 000 - 300 000
Current Bid
Starting at ZAR 190 000
Location
Cape Town
Shipping
Condition Report
May include additional detailed images
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About this Item

South African 1955-
Universal Archive (Horse)

signed, numbered 21/30 in pencil and embossed with the David Krut Workshop chopmark in the margin

linocut printed on non-archival pages from the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary
image size: 48 by 64cm; sheet size: 62 by 80cm; 73 by 90 by 4,5cm including frame

Provenance

David Krut Workshop, Johannesburg.

Private Collection.

Notes

The present lot is a striking example of William Kentridge's ongoing exploration of history, memory, and the human condition through his distinctive multi-disciplinary approach.

The present lot combines Kentridge's penchant for layered, symbolic imagery with his unique use of materials and techniques. The horse, a recurring motif in Kentridge's oeuvre, often represents both the animal and the allegorical, embodying themes of power, movement, and the intersection of nature with human constructs. In the present lot, the horse is depicted with a powerful sense of motion, seemingly frozen in a moment of transition between stillness and action. This duality - the tension between the static and the dynamic - is at the heart of the work's visual impact.

The present lot is part of Kentridge's larger Universal Archive series, which is an ongoing project investigating the construction and deconstruction of history. The 'archive' concept is one that resonates throughout Kentridge's body of work, as he examines the ways in which history is recorded, filtered, and interpreted, often questioning the objectivity of the archive itself. By introducing the horse into this archive, Kentridge introduces an element of narrative and movement, allowing the animal to serve as both witness and participant in the unfolding of historical events.

In his work, Kentridge draws on a deep understanding of South African history and a critical engagement with global historical narratives. The horse, both as a literal animal and a symbolic figure, becomes a conduit for Kentridge's meditation on how history is remembered, interpreted, and transmitted.

William Kentridge (2013) A Universal Archive: William Kentridge as Printmaker, London: Hayward Gallery Publishing.

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