At an auction by Strauss & Co last night several new South African art auction records were established despite the weaker art market.

Strauss & Co, the worldwide market leader for South African art: We celebrate the closure of the year with an annual total of R170 million, over 90% of the total achieved in 2010 – which was a boom year for the art market – and double the total achieved in 2009.

Probably the best-known South African painting in the world, Frans Oerder’s still-life Magnolias, is to be auctioned in Johannesburg on the 9th of March by South Africa’s dynamic new auction house – Strauss & Co.

The old adage that "a work of art sells best in its country of origin" was proved at the first auction of Important South African Paintings, Watercolours and Sculpture conducted by Strauss & Co in Johannesburg last night.

In Strauss & Co’s upcoming inaugural Cape Town auction which takes place on 8 October 2009, a powerful study of an athlete balancing on his hands by Fanie Eloff is featured.

Strauss & Co is extremely proud to announce the appointment of Emma Bedford as Paintings Specialist starting from 1 November 2009. Although she will be based in the Cape Town office, she will liaise on a regular basis between Johannesburg and Cape Town. According to Stephan Welz, Managing Director of Strauss & Co, it is not often that someone of Bedford’s calibre becomes available. Highly regarded both locally and internationally, Bedford played an unequalled role as a Curator at Iziko South African National Gallery and as Director of Goodman Gallery Cape. She is an acknowledged expert in modern and contemporary art with particular reference to South African art, has extensive experience in curating exhibitions and collections management, has written and edited many publications and is a popular public speaker.

If the price of art and antiques is anything to go by, South Africa is fast coming out of it’s recession.

Following statistics released recently by Art Vault, Strauss & Co, South Africa’s premier art auction house under Stephan Welz’s leadership, is at the helm of the South African paintings auction market ahead of the London auction house Bonhams and Welz’s previous company Swelco.

Forthcoming Auction in Cape Town: Monday 15 March 2010 Important South African Paintings, Furniture, Silver, Ceramics and Jewellery INCLUDING A COLLECTION OF WORKS BY WILLIAM TIMLIN AND THE EDITH DODO COLLECTION OF PAINTINGS

Top South African art continues to boom Cape Town: Strauss & Co, South Africa’s leading auction house, last night once again proved the strong demand for premier South African art works setting another six significant new auction records.