Prices for South African and international art soared at Strauss & Co’s auction held Monday night in Cape Town. The sale achieved a total of R50 million with a value sell-through rate of over 84%, once again the highest in the current market.

Prices for high quality South African and international art soared at Strauss & Co’s auction held this week in Cape Town. The sale achieved a total of R50 million and a value sell-through rate of over 84%, once again the highest in the current market, reaffirming Strauss & Co’s position as global leader for South African art. The packed saleroom, a regular feature of Strauss & Co’s evening sales, was marked by competitive bidding and many exciting surprises ensued.

What is your art is worth? Have you ever had it valued? Are you thinking of selling? Highly regarded art specialists and auctioneers, Stephan Welz and Ruarc Peffers of Strauss & Co, will be visiting KwaZulu-Natal next week to offer obligation-free valuations in preparation for their next major auction of Important South African and International Art to be held in Johannesburg on 1 June 2015. They will be in Pietermaritzburg on 8 April and Durban on 9 April 2015 (see details below). Strauss & Co, South Africa’s premier auction house for fine and decorative arts, is the global leader in the South African art market and holds records for most major South African artists including Irma Stern, JH Pierneef, Anton van Wouw, Wolf Kibel, Walter Battiss, Stanley Pinker, Robert Hodgins, Penny Siopis et al.

Important South African and International Art, Johannesburg, 1 June 2015, Lot 208

Important South African and International Art, Johannesburg, 1 June 2015, Lot 263

Important South African and International Art, Johannesburg, Lot 258

Important South African and International Art, 1 June 2015

Important South African and International Art, Johannesburg, 1 June 2015

"Very few artists command the respect and admiration of their peers in the way Robert Hodgins does, a reverence often verging on cult status." Kendall Geers Strauss & Co’s June 1 auction of Important South African and International Art in Johannesburg features a unique and unprecedented selection of paintings by Robert Hodgins, one of the most compelling of South African artists. These works span the second half of the 20th century and into the 21st century and track Hodgins’ rise from obscurity to stardom and his development from young, inquiring artist to mature painter. Though Hodgins only started his full-time painting career in earnest at the age of 63 when he retired from his lectureship at Wits, he was a prolific artist and produced paintings with varying degrees of regularity and intensity throughout his life. Strauss & Co holds the top 12 consecutive records for Hodgins, most recently R2,6 million which was achieved for the painting J’accuse.

Strauss & Co’s sale which takes place in Johannesburg on 1 June 2015 showcases many exciting works of art by South African and international artists of stature. These include Kees van Dongen, Alexander Calder, Francis Bacon, Pablo Picasso, Irma Stern, JH Pierneef, William Kentridge, Jane Alexander, Robert Hodgins, Penny Siopis, Deborah Bell, Walter Oltman and Athi-Patra Ruga.