14 October 2020
Emerging Painting Invitational – the pan-African emerging painting prize, launched by the Emerging African Art Galleries Association (EAAGA) in 2019 in Harare, Zimbabwe – like all international art events, faced a dilemma in 2020. The objective of EPI is to bring international attention and professional support to the widest diversity of young painters across Africa as well as to spotlight different art communities across the continent through the unique exhibition/conference/prize/art fair model.
13 October 2020
Strauss & Co’s October online-only auction, which is now open and runs until 8pm on Monday 19 October, offers a cornucopia of pleasures. The lot offerings encompass collectable art, jewellery and accessories, and fine wine. Highlights include Kanonkop’s CWG Paul Sauer, the ne plus ultra of South African wines, as well as luxurious ladies’ silk scarves and gentlemen’s silk ties by Hermès.
9 October 2020
Strauss & Co is pleased to announce details of its forthcoming multi-day live virtual auction of art, decorative arts, jewellery and fine wine, due to take place from Sunday, 8 November to Wednesday, 11 November 2020. This exciting bi-city initiative is titled NORTH/SOUTH and replaces the company’s traditional end-of-year city sales in Johannesburg and Cape Town with a consolidated virtual sale involving both offices simultaneously. While new in format and duration, NORTH/SOUTH is a showcase of everything Strauss & Co does best.
8 October 2020
Strauss & Co is delighted to announce that its forthcoming North/South sale (8–11 November 2020) will include a session exclusively devoted to the holdings of the Tasso Foundation Collection of important South African art assembled by the late Giulio Bertrand. Italian-born Giulio Bertrand (1927–2018) is best known to South Africans for his transformative activities at Morgenster Estate in Somerset West.
8 September 2020
In what can only be read as an affirmation of South African art and artists, Strauss & Co posted a new record turnover for an individual online-only sale. Timed to coincide with its parallel participation in the virtual edition of the recent RMB Turbine Art Fair (27 August – 2 September), Strauss & Co’s fifth online-only auction of 2020 grossed R7 288 495.
22 May 2020
With museums and galleries closed during Covid-19 health lockdown, Strauss & Co’s online sale of Modern, Post-War and Contemporary Art, Decorative Arts and Wine (25 May – 1 June) offers an inspiring journey through two centuries of art from South Africa, and beyond. Like a museum with many annexes, the 500-lot sale covers a range of artistic genres and periods, and features a handsome showcase of decorative arts and wines inspired by Chenin and Pinotage.
13 May 2020
The dynamic transition to online marketing and sales, coupled with a strategic international technology partnership with Invaluable.com and – most importantly – the heartening support from its loyal clients, enabled Strauss & Co to achieve solid turnover in its maiden virtual auction. Held over two days in full compliance with national health regulations, with auctioneers leading the live-streamed sale from studios set up in Cape Town and Johannesburg, the nearly 650-lot sale earned R79 million with a lot sell-through rate of 77.34% and value sell-through rate of 78.61%.
24 August 2020
Strauss & Co’s forthcoming auction of modern, post-war and contemporary art, decorative arts and fine wine (27 August – 7 September) coincides with a felicitous change in mood signalled by the easing of lockdown restrictions, imminent arrival of spring and launch of the 2020 edition of the RMB Turbine Art Fair. Art highlights from this online-only auction include works by auction evergreens Walter Battiss, Peter Clarke, William Kentridge, Nelson Makamo, J.H. Pierneef and Mmakgabo Helen Sebidi.
24 August 2020
Time-honoured customs may have been upended by a global pandemic, but Strauss & Co is once again participating in the annual RMB Turbine Art Fair with a vigorous programme of contributions to this year’s virtual edition. These contributions include a talk by Strauss & Co chairperson Frank Kilbourn and two-person exhibition devoted to Gladys Mgudlandlu and Maggie Laubser.
13 August 2020
Strauss & Co is pleased to announce details for North/South, an exciting weeklong virtual sale of art, fine wine and decorative arts due to be held over five consecutive days from 8–12 November 2020.
30 July 2020
The emergence of a new class of younger collectors coupled with a strong showing by auction favourites J. H. Pierneef and Irma Stern enabled Strauss & Co to achieve solid results from its three-day live sale of South African fine wine and Modern, Post-War and Contemporary art. The sale was live-streamed from Strauss & Co’s offices in Johannesburg and Cape Town to an international audience and it attracted a large cohort of online and telephone bidders. The sale, which concluded on Tuesday evening with Session 5, earned a total of R66.9 million with a satisfying lot sell-through rate of close to 80%.
27 July 2020
Strauss & Co established a new South African wine-auction record when a rare vertical tracking three decades of Kanonkop’s Paul Sauer, South Africa’s most iconic red wine, sold to an online bidder for R546 240 at the start of its three-day virtual auction. The exceptional offering of 19 large-format bottles of Kanonkop’s signature Bordeaux-style wine attracted considerable interest and eventually sold for double the pre-sale estimate.
23 July 2020
Works by acclaimed artists Wim Botha, William Kentridge, Misheck Masamvu, Athi-Patra Ruga, Penny Siopis and Portia Zvavahera – artists who have all exhibited at the prestigious Venice Biennale – form part of the extensive contemporary art offering from Strauss & Co’s forthcoming winter Live Virtual sale, due to be held over three days from 26 to 28 July. Bidding for the contemporary consignment will commence on Monday, 27 July at 4pm with a work on paper by Kentridge, Telegrams from the Nose (estimate R90 000 – 120 0000).
18 July 2020
The cover lot of Strauss & Co’s winter Live Virtual auction, due to be held over three days from 26 to 28 July, is a monumental bushveld scene by JH Pierneef. Painted in 1953, Bosveld (estimate R9 – 12 million) is a masterpiece from this coveted painter’s late period and originates from a superb single-owner collection that includes museum-quality works by Gregoire Boonzaier, Dylan Lewis, Alexis Preller, Gerard Sekoto, Irma Stern and Edoardo Villa, among others.
1 July 2020
Sensitive to the current COVID-19 situation and in full compliance with the restrictions that have been imposed, Strauss & Co is forging ahead with the programme of Online auctions. It is indeed encouraging to note that, despite all the gloom and doom, there is unwavering interest in the arts, both fine and decorative.
1 July 2020
The July 2020 Online Auction is the Decorator’s dream.
22 June 2020
Strauss & Co is pleased to announce details of its high-quality offerings from its forthcoming virtual auction, which will be led by auctioneers in studios in Johannesburg and Cape Town and live-streamed through Invaluable.com over three consecutive days in late July. The sale commences on Sunday 26 July with a session devoted to fine wines from three esteemed Cape winemakers – Boekenhoutskloof, Klein Constantia and Kanonkop – and climaxes with the offering of two notable single-owner collections on Tuesday 28 July.
15 June 2020
GolfRSA launched the COVID-19 Help Fund in April to assist caddies and thousands of other loyal casual golf industry workers who have received little or no financial aid during the current pandemic crisis.
4 June 2020
Scenes of open ranges and domestic beauty by a diverse list of artists substantially contributed to Strauss & Co’s positive June online sale, which earned R5.6 million from the 72% lots sold. JH Pierneef, a master of spaciousness and rural quiet, was the star performer, with three works by him placing in the top ten lots sold.
28 April 2020
Strauss & Co is very pleased to announce details of its much-anticipated autumn sale, due to be held on Sunday 10 and Monday 11 May. This important two-day sale includes paintings by several important twentieth-century moderns, including Irma Stern, items from three notable single-owner collections of decorative arts and a Bordeaux-themed sale of rare wines from South Africa and France.
28 April 2020
Travel was central to the life and work of Walter Battiss, JH Pierneef, Alexis Preller and Irma Stern, four important twentieth-century moderns whose work forms the core of Strauss & Co’s superb art offering to be auctioned online on Monday, 11 May. The change in format of Strauss & Co’s autumn sale of important South African moderns was necessitated by the current Covid-19 outbreak.
28 April 2020
Strauss & Co is proud to announce the auction of three notable single-owner collections in its online sale of 19th Century, Modern, Post-War and Contemporary Art, Decorative Arts, Jewellery and Wine, due to be held on Monday, 11 May. The revised virtual format was necessitated by the current Covid-19 outbreak.
24 April 2020
A message from Chairperson, Frank Kilbourn
17 April 2020
Robust bidding for the 695 lots in Strauss & Co’s second online auction for 2020 saw this “lockdown” sale total R6 million from 499 lots sold, (inclusive of aftersales), a new company record for online. Speaking via Zoom from his home in Cape Town due to restrictions imposed by a national health lockdown, Strauss & Co chairperson Frank Kilbourn said the sale affirmed a company decision in 2013 to embark on a digital journey.
3 April 2020
Strauss & Co’s forthcoming online auction of Modern, Post-War and Contemporary Art, Asian Arts, Jewellery and Wine, which runs from 6 to 14 April, offers collectors an opportunity to acquire exciting works in various media while respecting the terms of the public health lockdown. Highlights include a stirring portfolio by Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Greg Marinovich, an imaginative depiction of a dog by Norman Catherine, and important portfolio of prints by Diane Victor, an edition of which is in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York.
3 April 2020
Strauss & Co’s eagerly awaited Online auction commences on 6 April. In these troubled times when one is housebound, there can be no better way of whiling away the hours than browsing through the amazing array of pieces consigned for this auction.
17 February 2020
Talented multi-media artist Athi-Patra Ruga once again topped Strauss & Co’s annual contemporary art sale in Cape Town when his wool and thread tapestry measuring three-metres high sold for R796 600. Held in a portside warehouse in the V&A Waterfront, the 102-lot sale grossed R12.3 million with a lot sell-through rate of 71%.
11 February 2020
Cape Town, with its diverse and sophisticated ecosystem of galleries, museums, institutions and events, has over the last few years established itself as a global art capital. Launched three years ago at the V&A Waterfront, Strauss & Co’s contemporary art sale is an important addition to this vibrant network of opportunity for artists and collectors.
27 January 2020
Strauss & Co, the leading auction house for South African art, is pleased to offer works by African artists at the cutting edge of current artistic practice globally. Many of the artists featured in the company’s forthcoming Cape Town sale of contemporary African art – among them Lisa Brice, Omar Victor Diop, Zanele Muholi, Berni Searle and Mary Sibande – have in the last few years presented well-received exhibitions across of the world.
27 January 2020
When Frank Kilbourn sits down with Gerhard Marx, festival artist of the Stellenbosch Woordfees 2020, for a pleasant public heart-to-heart, the audience will quickly get that the executive chairperson of Strauss & Co has a solid hand on and a passion for the convoluted, but exciting, territory of contemporary art.
13 January 2020
A new wave of internationally celebrated South African artists, among them Nicholas Hlobo, Athi-Patra Ruga and Simphiwe Ndzube, lead Strauss & Co’s much-anticipated Contemporary Art auction, due to be held in Cape Town on 15 February. Now in its third year, this benchmark annual sale coincides with the Investec Cape Town Art Fair and will feature 102 carefully vetted lots, among them a consignment of pan-African works from a South African collector.
29 November 2019
Bag Factory Artists’ Studios, in partnership with Strauss Education and Kalashnikovv Gallery is proud to announce Duduzile (DuduBloom) More as the winner of the prestigious Cassirer Welz Award. Now in its ninth year, the award honours two doyens of art auctioneering in South Africa: Reinhold Cassirer and Stephan Welz. We would also once again like to congratulate the other three finalists for this year’s Cassirer Welz Award: Boitumelo Motau, Khotso Motsoeneng and Thebe Phetogo. Duduzile was announced as the winner of the award on 25 November at Strauss & Co in Johannesburg.
20 November 2019
Strauss & Co ended its 2019 programme of live sales on a confident note when the contents of Harcroft House, a distinguished Cape manor home in Constantia, was sold. The highest earner among the 558 lots on offer was a Chinese early Republican period, four-panel scroll painting depicting birds in flowering trees, which sold for R432 440, more than four times the estimate.
12 November 2019
Leading auction house Strauss & Co is privileged to be offering the entire contents of Harcroft House – an imposing 64-roomed Arts and Crafts mansion in the heart of Constantia in Cape Town. The 558-lot auction will take place in situ on Monday 18 November and will be preceded by three days of public viewing, from Friday 15 to Sunday 17 November.
12 November 2019
Celebrated contemporary artist William Kentridge affirmed his place among auction stalwarts JH Pierneef and Alexis Preller at Strauss & Co’s R37-million summer sale in Johannesburg. The packed evening sale, which started just before the welcome arrival of overdue rain, saw the auction house establish four new world records for artists, notably Ezrom Legae, whose African Goat, cast at the Vignali Foundry in Pretoria in 1990, sold for R1.7 million.
5 November 2019
A historically important painting by Penny Siopis forms part of a remarkable consignment of work by former staff and students of the University of the Witwatersrand on offer at Strauss & Co’s upcoming live sale, due to take place on Monday 11 November at 7pm in Johannesburg at their Houghton rooms, 89 Central Street.
5 November 2019
An exceptional assembly of bronzes by three trailblazing modernist sculptors – Ezrom Legae, Lucas Sithole and Edoardo Villa – lead Strauss & Co’s robust offering of sculpture at its forthcoming live sale on Monday, 11 November in Johannesburg.
31 October 2019
The history of Harcroft is bound up in an extraordinary love story which began in 1936, when British born Charles Louis Rycroft flouted the conventions of the time to marry a divorcee, Muriel Susan Elizabeth Parsons. Harcroft Estate, situated on the banks of the Ayer Tawar river in Perak, Malaysia, was a rubber plantation comprising the estate and the factory which Charles’s father, George Henry Rycroft, and his business partner, John Hartley, had purchased in 1919. Merging their two surnames, it was registered as Harcroft Rubber Estates Ltd.
15 October 2019
JH “Henk” Pierneef demonstrated his enduring appeal at Strauss & Co’s R55-million Spring sale, held in Cape Town on 7 October, achieving a total of R9.65 million from nine lots sold. The top lot, a monumental study of interlaced camelthorn trees in a landscape near Thabazimbi, sold for R2.73 million. The results marked a welcome return to form for Pierneef, whose prices had been diluted by a recent fire sale by a distressed collector.
15 October 2019
Strauss & Co is pleased to announce details of the theme for its forthcoming Johannesburg sale, due to be held at its Houghton offices on Monday, 11 November. The summer sale will focus collectors’ attention on the strong influence Paris has exerted on South African art throughout the twentieth century.
8 October 2019
• 688-lot sale totals R55 million • Top lot - Irma Stern’s Watussi Woman with Mountains realises R10 242 000 • 3 new world records established including Judith Mason, Neil Rodger and Walter Meyer • JH Pierneef’s early Impressionistic work Gold & Green, Rooiplaat, N.T. sells for R2 732 200, 4 times the pre-sale estimate • Decorative Arts and Jewellery combined achieve a total of R12 million
25 September 2019
A stirring Irma Stern portrait of a Watussi woman, painted on Stern’s second trip to the Belgian Congo in 1946, leads Strauss & Co’s impressive offering of historical paintings at its forthcoming spring sale in Cape Town. The widely exhibited painting, which is valued at R9 – 12 million, will go on sale at the Vineyard Hotel, Newlands, on 7 October, along with three portraits by Maggie Laubser and a diverse selection of works by J.H. Pierneef, among them five joyous paintings from a single-owner collection.
25 September 2019
Strauss & Co is pleased to announce details of its forthcoming decorative arts sale in Cape Town, due to be held at the Vineyard Hotel on Monday, 7 October. Presented twice annually in Cape Town, this specialist sale is well known for featuring important single-owner collections. The catalogue for the upcoming spring sale includes art and objets from China, England and Japan drawn from two notable collections: the Andrew Newall Collection and the Estate late Mrs Sonia Lapin.
15 August 2019
Strauss & Co, South Africa’s leading auction house, achieved R195.9 million (R195 936 848) in the period January through June from eight sales.
19 July 2019
Ever since 2014, when collectors Lizelle and Frank Kilbourn initiated Art Month at Welgemeend, this month-long celebration of art has been a highlight of Cape Town’s winter art calendar. This year’s programme once again promises to delight and please, and is guided by the feature exhibition, Satire and Irony, which features a selection of paintings by Robert Hodgins, Stanley Pinker and Alexander Podlashuc and sculptures by Peter Haden, an almost-forgotten artist.
10 July 2019
Strauss & Co is pleased to announce its participation in the seventh annual RMB Turbine Art Fair (RMB TAF), with a curated exhibition devoted to influential painters Louis Khehla Maqhubela and Douglas Portway. The exhibition, which is titled A Meeting of Minds, is the cornerstone of Strauss & Co’s contribution to the 2019 RMB TAF at its new location at 10 Fricker Road, Illovo.
10 July 2019
Strauss & Co is delighted to announce the first exhibition at its new Houghton space, a presentation of historical bronzes by sculptor Peter Haden. Organised by Gavin Watkins, in association with Strauss & Co, and composed of various figurative and abstract pieces, the exhibition Peter Haden: Almost Forgotten offers a penetrating insight into this little-known modernist sculptor.
8 July 2019
Since the inception of the RMB Turbine Art Fair (TAF) seven years ago, Strauss & Co’s leading-edge booth and its much-anticipated historical art exhibitions have been major drawcards, attracting throngs of new and established art lovers and collectors.
27 May 2019
Strauss & Co, South Africa’s premier art auction house, is pleased to announce Saturday Live, the first-ever live auction to be held at the company’s newly expanded premises in Houghton, Johannesburg. The first in the new series of sales takes place on Saturday 8 June at 11.00 am, and offers collectors access to a curated catalogue of mid-range artworks by established artists, including Esther Mahlangu, Sam Nhlengethwa, Deborah Bell, Peter Clarke and William Kentridge.
27 May 2019
Three perfect-score South African wines go under the hammer
21 May 2019
- World record for Anton van Wouw - World record for a still life by Irma Stern - World record for a tapestry by Athi-Patra Ruga
14 May 2019
Two triumphant still lifes by Irma Stern lead a strong selection of paintings by important post-war artists Walter Battiss, Christo Coetzee, Erik Laubscher and Alexis Preller on offer at Strauss & Co’s forthcoming Johannesburg sale on Monday, 20 May.
10 May 2019
Strauss & Co, the world’s foremost auction house for South African art, is delighted to announce details of its forthcoming Johannesburg sale at the Wanderers Club on 20 May. Following shortly on the company’s recording-breaking R106-million sale in Cape Town, this offering includes important artworks by moderns Alexis Preller, Irma Stern and Anton van Wouw, as well as contemporaries William Kentridge, Penny Siopis and Athi-Patra Ruga.
3 May 2019
Following their most successful auction to date held in Cape Town in March this year, Strauss & Co is delighted to offer the balance of pieces from the Dr JR and Mary Strong Collection of Chinese and Japanese Ceramics and Works of Art, as well as those from the Estate Late Sol Munitz Collection, both seasoned collectors.
11 April 2019
In a trailblazing initiative, South Africa’s foremost auction house, Strauss & Co, has entered a joint venture with leading online wine merchant, Wine Cellar, and top sommelier, Higgo Jacobs, to launch a Fine Wine Auction programme.
2 April 2019
THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN PHOTOGRAPHY OF ALEXANDER LINDSAY 19th April – 5th May 2019 Private View, Thursday 18th April 2019, 6pm – 9pm The Vineyard Hotel, Colinton Road, off Protea Road, Newlands, Cape Town The Vineyard Hotel, in association with Strauss & Co, is delighted to present the inaugural exhibition of Alexander Lindsay’s Southern African photography.
1 April 2019
Enthusiastic bidding is expected at the upcoming Strauss & Co Online-Only auction in the wake of the recent Cape Town sale’s record-breaking tally of R106-million
19 March 2019
- Record-breaking sale total - South African record for Alexis Preller - 93% value sell-through rate
13 March 2019
Strauss & Co’s forthcoming March sale in Cape Town includes a fine selection of Chinese and Japanese ceramics and works art, English silverware and Cape furniture from two distinguished single-owner collections. The impeccable consignments from the Dr J.R. and Mary Strong Collection and Dr Johan Bolt Collection showcase artisanal traditions from various cultural epochs. Collectively, they evidence the role of passion and connoisseurship in building a collection.
13 March 2019
Strauss & Co’s forthcoming live auction in Cape Town includes three Zanzibar-period paintings by Irma Stern, a major work by Alexis Preller, museum-quality Cape furniture and a selection of fine Chinese and Japanese pieces. Originating from four highly important single-owner collections, the works will be offered to the public at the Vineyard Hotel on Monday, 18 March 2019.
7 March 2019
Strauss & Co’s much-anticipated March sale in Cape Town contains a bounty of eleven lots by Irma Stern, South Africa’s most valuable artist at auction. The Stern offering includes three exceptional portraits from the painter’s highly prized Zanzibar period (1939–45), one of which is unrecorded in literature about this prolific artist.
28 February 2019
Strauss & Co is pleased to announce a weeklong public showcase of important artworks from its forthcoming Cape Town sale at Morkel House in Stellenbosch. This extraordinary display in one of South Africa’s oldest buildings runs from 4 to 8 March and will include museum-quality works by Irma Stern and Alexis Preller.
19 February 2019
- 23 new world records - 6 new South African records - Highest price ever achieved in South Africa for photography
31 January 2019
Strauss & Co is thrilled to announce details of its extraordinary offerings from four major private collections due to be sold at its much-anticipated March 2019 auction in Cape Town. This sale will feature top-class paintings from The Shill Collection and The Late Sol Munitz Collection, as well as Cape furniture pieces from The Collection of Dr Johan Bolt and Orien- tal works of art from The Dr JR and Mary Strong Collection.
16 January 2019
Strauss & Co is pleased to announce the second of its contemporary art sales, the only such sale in South Africa devoted exclusively to this exciting category. The announcement of this 107-lot sale, due to be held on 16 February during the run of the Investec Cape Town Art Fair (15 – 17 February), coincides with news that Jack Ginsberg, noted Johannesburg collector and philanthropist, has joined the board of Strauss & Co.
20 November 2018
Cape Town (16 November 2018) – A selection of exciting works from leading contemporary artists from Africa and its diaspora will be up for auction at Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA). Held in partnership with Strauss & Co, the much-anticipated live auction will take place at the museum on Saturday 1 December 2018.
16 November 2018
In a packed saleroom at the Wanderers Club on Monday, November 12th, an exceptional casein landscape by J.H Pierneef and an oil painting by Moses Tladi set new records at Strauss & Co’s live Summer sale, which confirmed it as the pioneering auction house on the African continent.
7 November 2018
Biggest art auction to be held in Southern Africa with paintings worth over R80 million at Strauss & Co set to break records Museum quality masterwork paintings by South Africa’s leading artists set to take Strauss & Co’s sale to record breaking levels A feast of 11 Irma Sterns; 17 Pierneeefs; 9 Maggie Laubsers; 5 Alexis Prellers and a Tribute to Unsung Artists with a selection of their work on sale
7 November 2018
Strauss & Co is delighted to announce details of its forthcoming live sale in Johannesburg on 12 November. The sale, which has a combined pre-sale estimate of R80 million, is a celebration of Johannesburg and its many talented artists, curators and collectors. The sale commemorates the city’s important role in shaping South African art history.
16 October 2018
• Strauss & Co auction totals R50 million, with a 76% sold rate, the highest in the current market • Stern masterpiece realises R9.1 million • New world auction records achieved for Fritz Krampe and Judith Mason A vivid floral still life by South Africa’s foremost painter, Irma Stern, was the top lot at Strauss & Co’s R50-million grossing spring sale in Cape Town, selling for R9.1 million. The sale, Strauss & Co’s fourth and penultimate live sale of the year, also saw two new world records achieved for works by Judith Mason and Fritz Krampe
8 October 2018
A commanding selection of works from single-owner collections, including a museum-quality Irma Stern still life, Namibian landscapes by Adolph Jentsch and an important Japanese satsuma vase, are some of the highlights from Strauss & Co’s forthcoming Spring sale. The sale, which also includes a late-period landscape by JH Pierneef from 1945 and two striking portraits by Maggie Laubser from the 1920s, will be held in Cape Town on 15 October at the Vineyard Hotel in Cape Town.
8 October 2018
Strauss & Co, South Africa’s leading auction house, is honoured to present 20 works in various media from the Namibia-based collection of the Late Peter and Regina Strack. The sale, which includes three rare Adolph Jentsch oils and a major Fritz Krampe oil, will be offered in a dedicated segment at the auction house’s forthcoming sale in Cape Town on 15 October.
21 September 2018
The Late Peter and Regina Strack Collection
21 September 2018
The landscape genre is a key part of the story of South African art and remains a highly sought-after collectable at auction. More than half of the twelve most valuable artists sold at auction by Strauss & Co since 2009 worked with landscape, including Walter Battiss, Maggie Laubser, Hugo Naudé and Cecil Skotnes, but none were as faithful to this country’s geographical abundance as JH Pierneef.
20 September 2018
A magisterial floral still life by Irma Stern, South Africa’s foremost painter, is the highlight of Strauss & Co’s bountiful crop of offerings at its forthcoming spring sale in Cape Town on 15 October. Painted in 1947, Dahlias (estimate R8 – 12 million) is a peak-period Stern depicting a favoured flower and additionally claims an impeccable provenance.
16 September 2018
Strauss & Co is thrilled to be the recipient of this year’s Chairman’s Premier Award at the 21st BASA Awards which were held today at the Victoria Yards complex in Lorentzville, Johannesburg. The prestigious award comes in the year of the company’s 10th anniversary.
13 September 2018
The current Strauss & Co online auction includes an impressive selection of works from the Natal School as well as an outstanding representation of Scandinavian jewellery, silver and furniture.
28 August 2018
Strauss & Co is proud to be among the finalists for the 21st Business and Arts South Africa (BASA) Awards, partnered by Hollard.
10 August 2018
Strauss & Co is delighted to announce its participation in the form of an Art Hub at the Trumpet Building, located on the Keyes Art Mile in Johannesburg, to coincide with the FNB Joburg Art Fair (6–9 September 2018). This partnership, which is spearheaded by the Keyes Art Mile and coordinated by respected curator Lucy McGarry, includes an extensive education and hospitality programme.
26 July 2018
Art Month at Welgemeend is an important event on Cape Town’s winter arts calendar that every year features a harvest of artistic talent drawn from collectors Frank and Lizelle Kilbourn’s personal collection. This year’s exhibition, Shifting Boundaries: A Selection of Works showcasing South African Women Artists of the Past 100 Years, highlights how successive generations of women artists have been at the vanguard of South African art.
26 July 2018
Collectors Frank and Lizelle Kilbourn have over the past three decades amassed a remarkable treasure trove of works by South African women artists, a selection of which will be on view at Welgemeend, a historic manor house in central Cape Town for the duration of August 2018.
9 July 2018
Strauss & Co is adding to its considerable presence at the upcoming RMB Turbine Art Fair (TAF) with an online auction that provides emerging art collectors with an affordable, accessible platform.
15 June 2018
Strauss & Co, South Africa’s leading auction house, has experienced brisk trade in the period January to June, generating combined sales of R120 million (R120 588 713). The company’s three live sales, which this year included a new specialist auction exclusively focusing on contemporary art, generated the lion’s share of the turnover, netting R111 million (R111 053 588). Four online sales brought in R9.5 million (R9 530 200).
5 June 2018
Alexis Preller was the star artist at Strauss & Co’s top-notch winter sale, generating R15.53 million in sales from seven lots sold on Monday, 4 June 2018 at the Wanderers Club in Johannesburg. Cementing his stature at auction, Preller posted three of the top five auction results at this live sale, the climax to an energetic programme of art events hosted by the company.
5 June 2018
Strauss & Co is once again cementing its reputation as South Africa’s leading Fine Art auction house with the announcement of its first themed online sale, Abstract South African Art.
4 June 2018
Important South African and International Art
22 May 2018
A museum-quality artwork included in William Kentridge’s first career survey in the United States leads a strong selection of contemporary art lots at Strauss & Co’s forthcoming Johannesburg sale on 4 June.
18 May 2018
A museum-quality artwork by William Kentridge, a gripping 1950 self-portrait by Alexis Preller and an intimate post-impressionist painting by Edouard Vuillard are among the outstanding lots at Strauss & Co's forthcoming live sale in Johannesburg, to be held at the Wanderers Club on 4 June.
18 May 2018
Brave collectors with an eye for opportunity and future growth should consider the strong offering of abstract works gathered by Strauss & Co for inclusion in its forthcoming live sale in Johannesburg. Artists representative of all the major styles and schools associated with the post-war uptake of abstraction in South Africa are represented in this sale, due to be held at the Wanderers Club on 4 June.
18 May 2018
Two important works by Alexis Preller painted twenty years apart - one a gripping self-portrait from 1950, the other an enigmatic visualization of the mythical Greek god of the sea produced in 1970 - are among the outstanding lots by this acclaimed artist to go under the hammer at Strauss & Co's forthcoming live sale in Johannesburg, to be held at the Wanderers Club on 4 June.
7 May 2018
Four impressive works by Alexis Preller, including an imaginative 1950 self-portrait, are among the outstanding works on offer at Strauss & Co's forthcoming live sale in Johannesburg, due to be held at the Wanderers Club on 4 June 2018.
2 May 2018
Property of the Estate Late Vyvyan Myerson (1939-2017)
28 March 2018
With the internet playing a greater role in the lives of consumers as the digital revolution continues to accelerate and online shopping platforms are steadily becoming the preferred environment of young millennials, Strauss & Co are making fine and decorative art auctions a virtual reality.
16 March 2018
An extraordinary portrait by sought-after painter Alexis Preller depicting Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea, will go on sale at Strauss & Co’s June auction in Johannesburg.
6 March 2018
Important South African and International Art, Decorative Arts & Jewellery
6 March 2018
A bold and colourful Still Life with Coffee Pot and Fruit by Erik Laubscher set a new world record at Strauss & Co's live sale in Cape Town last night, selling for R 2.273 million.
20 February 2018
Important works representative of South Africa's diverse and evolving artistic practices from the twentieth and twenty-first century will go under the hammer at Strauss & Co's much-anticipated Cape Town sale on 5 March at The Vineyard Hotel. Among the standout lots being offered is an Egyptian-themed architectural drawing by William Kentridge from his 2005 production of Mozart's The Magic Flute and a vivid still life with coffee utensils and ripening fruit by Erik Laubscher.
19 February 2018
The hubbub of a working harbour provided the backdrop for Strauss & Co's inaugural contemporary art sale, the first such auction in South Africa to focus exclusively on this burgeoning category of art.
24 January 2018
Strauss & Co is pleased to announce details of its first-ever dedicated contemporary art sale, due to be held on 17 February 2018. The venue for the 71-lot sale is an impressive former warehouse overlooking the Duncan Docks, a harbour facility at the Port of Cape Town.
13 November 2017
Important South African and International Art
13 November 2017
Strauss & Co's fourth and final live auction of 2017 ended on a high note in Johannesburg, with combined sales totalling R76 million. The exceptional result, achieved on a solid 84.32% value sell-through rate, helped push the company's annual turnover into record territory. Combined sales for the financial year to date are R322 584 601.
13 November 2017
Strauss & Co's fourth and final live auction of 2017 ended on a high note in Johannesburg, with combined sales totalling R76 million. The exceptional result, achieved on a solid 84.32% value sell-through rate, helped push the company's annual turnover into record territory. Combined sales for the financial year to date are R322 584 601.
7 November 2017
Sydney Kumalo was in his early thirties when he began work on his Madala series, highly collectable bronzes depicting old men and cast in small editions by dealer Egon Guenther. A very rare example from this series, Madala VI (estimate R700 000 - 900 000), will go on sale at Strauss & Co's live auction at the Wanderers Club, Johannesburg, on 13 November.
6 November 2017
Strauss & Co is delighted to present a number of important artworks by artists who lived and worked in Namibia, as well as by renowned South African artists who were captivated by the country's natural beauty.
24 October 2017
The diverse artistic traditions from KwaZulu-Natal receive a special focus on Strauss & Co's coming Johannesburg live auction, due to be held at the Wanderers Club on 13 November. The sale, which also includes a selection of remarkable highveld landscapes and rare wartime South African artworks, contains 59 lots by historical and contemporary artists from the Zulu kingdom.
20 October 2017
Two newly rediscovered works - a Sydney Kumalo bronze from the sculptor's golden period and Alexis Preller's transformative study of a wounded soldier - are among the stand-out lots on Strauss & Co's forthcoming Johannesburg live auction, due to be held at the Wanderers Club?on 13 November.
16 October 2017
Important South African and International Art, Decorative Arts and Jewellery
16 October 2017
An important drawing from William Kentridge's award-winning 1991 film Sobriety, Obesity, and Growing Old was the top lot by value at Strauss & Co's spring sale in Cape Town. The drawing sold to a telephone bidder for R4 092 480, well above its high estimate.
4 October 2017
Maggie Laubser's portrait of a raffish Cape shepherd wearing two peacock feathers in his hat leads a strong selection of lots by this important expressionist painter, due to go on offer at Strauss & Co's 16 October live sale at the Vineyard Hotel, Cape Town.
20 September 2017
Strauss & Co, South Africa's leading auction house, is thrilled to be offering two important early drawings from William Kentridge's celebrated cycle of stop-animation films known as Drawings for Projection.
30 August 2017
A portrait of a raffish shepherd by Maggie Laubser, a stylised homage to Hieronymus Bosch by Alexis Preller, two drawings of William Kentridge's fictional alter ego and a night sky landscape by John Meyer, form part of Strauss & Co's substantial offering at its forthcoming live sale in Cape Town, which will be held at the Vineyard Hotel on 16 October.
26 July 2017
Thursday, 3 August 2017 AT 6.00pm R60 per person: proceeds will benefit Welgemeend and the Boerneef Art Collection Booking essential: Helena Le Roux 082 461 9753
20 July 2017
Art month at Welgemeend / August 2017
4 July 2017
Strauss & Co is delighted to announce the fourth installment of the annual August Art Month at Welgemeend, a month-long exhibition of South African art at one of Cape Town’s most renowned manor homes. The theme for this year’s winter exhibition is “Abstraction - South African art from the 50's to the 70's” and will showcase work from two important private collections, the Frank and Lizelle Kilbourn Collection and Pieter Colyn Collection.
6 June 2017
The star of the show at Strauss & Co's winter sale held last night at the Wanderers Club in Johannesburg was undoubtedly JH Pierneef, when a new all-time world record was set by his previously unseen painting, Farm Jonkershoek with Twin Peaks Beyond, Stellenbosch, which shattered its estimate of R6 000 000 - R8 000 000, by fetching a mammoth R20 462 400. This is the second highest price ever achieved for a painting sold at auction in South Africa.
5 June 2017
Important South African and International Art
1 June 2017
On Monday night a previously unseen painting by JH Pieneef, Farm Jonkershoek with Twin Peaks Beyond, Stellenbosch, will go under the hammer at Strauss & Co's June auction at the Wanderers Club in Johannesburg.
25 May 2017
The landscape was the bedrock of the emerging South African painting canon. This fact is reflected in the exceptional examples by early 20th century South African masters Maggie Laubser, Hugo Naudé, Frans Oerder and JH Pierneef on offer at Strauss & Co’s forthcoming live sale at the Wanderers Club on 5 June.
25 May 2017
An emphatically modern portrait by Irma Stern of an unknown young woman with stylishly waved hair and fashionable dress leads a group of remarkable portrait paintings on offer at Strauss & Co's forthcoming live sale at the Wanderers Club on 5 June.
9 May 2017
Following on Strauss & Co’s recording-topping March live sale in Cape Town, which generated a headline turnover of R70.6 million on a solid 84% sell-through rate, the company is embarking on a valuation road show in the Eastern Cape.
2 May 2017
Strauss & Co, South Africa's leading auction house by turnover and sell-through rate, is proud to announce its support of the Friends of the South African Pavilion, a network of contributing patrons at this year's 57th Biennale Arte in Venice, which opens to the public on Saturday, 13 May 2017. Founded 1895, the Biennale Arte is the world's most prestigious contemporary art event and an important platform to leverage national aspiration on a global stage.
10 April 2017
Strauss & Co's forthcoming Johannesburg live sale, features a selection of important works by leading South African artists, including standout lots by stalwarts of the auction market, JH Pierneef, Alexis Preller and Irma Stern. The auction, which will be held at the Wanderer's Club on 5 June, also includes a number of iconic works made in the 1990s.
6 March 2017
Important South African and International Art, Decorative Arts and Jewellery, 6 March 2017
6 March 2017
The big three – Irma Stern, Maggie Laubser and J.H. Pierneef – were central pillars of Strauss & Co’s monumental late-summer auction in Cape Town, which generated a record turnover of R70.6 million. The superb result, achieved on a solid 84% sell-through rate, surpassed the previous single-auction high of R66.8 million – set in Johannesburg in 2010 – by R3.8 million.
24 February 2017
Painting remains the benchmark medium for South African art collectors, with quality works by Irma Stern, J.H. Pierneef, Alexis Preller, Walter Battiss and Robert Hodgins commanding reliably firm prices at Strauss & Co live auctions.
20 February 2017
Strauss & Co posted a record turnover of R215 million in 2016, the highest combined income achieved by the company in a single year since its inception in 2009. While the narrative around individual sales matter, it was Strauss & Co’s capacity to achieve a sell-through rate of over 80% at its four live auctions in Johannesburg and Cape Town that contributed to its resounding performance.
22 November 2016
A year of robust auction sales at Strauss & Co has seen South Africa's leading auction house achieve a record turnover of R218 million (a 4% increase on 2015).
7 November 2016
Strauss & Co – Important South African and International Art – Johannesburg 7 November 2016
7 November 2016
The sale of rare and important paintings by Alexis Preller, some held in major collections and unseen for decades, capped a day of vigorous bidding at Strauss & Co's summer auction in Johannesburg. This auction of important South African and international art, the last of Strauss & Co's four annual live sales, drew a full house to the city's illustrious Wanderers Club.
3 November 2016
Much loved Afrikaans actor, director, author, screenwriter and producer Tos Du Toit's collection of South African art will be sold at Strauss & Co on Monday 7 November in Johannesburg.
25 October 2016
Irma Stern's striking oil portrait from 1956, Lot 226, Woman with Blue Headscarf (estimate R2 000 000 - R3 000 000), is one of a number of remarkable works from the collection of Liselotte and Walter Hardebeck going under the hammer at Strauss & Co's upcoming 7 November sale in Johannesburg. Other notable works from this collection include Lot 223, Stern's Watussi Chief's Wife (with Head Dress), a charcoal drawing from 1946 (estimate R200 000 - 300 000), and a group of five little-seen works by Alexis Preller.
25 October 2016
A career-spanning selection of paintings made by Alexis Preller between 1935 and 1975, some held in major collections and many unseen for decades, will go under the hammer at Strauss & Co's forthcoming auction in Johannesburg. "What an array of ways of working!" enthused Professor Karel Nel, a respected artist and noted Preller expert, during a recent lecture on Preller. The lecture, which was hosted by Strauss & Co, offered an insight into the biographical context and outstanding aesthetic attributes of the ten Preller lots on offer.
14 October 2016
A key work by painter Alexis Preller, for decades presumed lost, is among the standout lots on Strauss & Co’s forthcoming Johannesburg summer auction. The sale, scheduled to take place at the Wanderers Club on 7 November, includes a number of important works repatriated to this country from international collections, notably by Preller, Walter Battiss, Cecil Skotnes and Edoardo Villa.
14 October 2016
Important South African and International Art - Johannesburg 7 November 2016
10 October 2016
Important South African and International Art, Decorative Arts and Jewellery - Cape Town, 10 October 2016
10 October 2016
A night of vigorous bidding at Strauss & Co’s s spring auction in Cape Town generated R58 million in sales, a record for the Cape Town office and the second highest individual sale result for South Africa’s leading auction house. The sale, which featured over 630 pieces, achieved an 82.5% sell-through rate, an achievement unmatched by rivals.
13 September 2016
Paintings dominate the offerings in Strauss & Co’s forthcoming October sale in Cape Town, but there is a noticeable contemporary attitude about this spring auction.
20 July 2016
The illustrious Cape Town manor home of Welgemeend, an estate founded on the slopes of Table Valley in 1693 and declared a monument in 1944, will once again open its doors for a month-long winter exhibition of important South African art (5 August - 2 September 2016).
13 July 2016
There's something to tempt everyone on StraussOnline's July 2016 auction which opened on 8 July 2016. Featuring more than 450 lots, the auction house showcases its extensive offering of contemporary and 20th century artworks, silver, ceramics, furniture and books.
29 June 2016
Strauss & Co is proud to announce important appointments to its Board and team of art specialists bolstering the rock solid legacy of founding managing director, Stephan Welz, who passed away at the end of last year.
24 June 2016
Last year Strauss & Co achieved its highest turnover in its eight-year history, setting 21 new artists'' records and showing depth in the market with impressive sales across all departments. While 2015 ended with the untimely loss of Stephan Welz, the company''s founding Managing Director, Strauss & Co''s midyear results are testimony to the resilience of the company and the confidence that clients have in the expertise and integrity of its staff.
10 June 2016
The Stephan Welz series of Fynarts Talks
31 May 2016
Specialists from Strauss & Co will be visiting East London, Grahamstown, Port Elizabeth, Knysna and Hermanus in June to conduct obligation-free valuations of paintings, sculpture, silver, and Chinese porcelain.
23 May 2016
Important South African and International Art – 23 May 2015 – Top Ten Lots
23 May 2016
Strauss & Co's auction in Johannesburg last night which achieved a total of almost R42 million, was characterised by a packed auction room and a busy bank of telephones. The top lot of the auction, Irma Stern's Portrait of Freda Feldman with Basuto Hat, which sold on the telephone for over R5 million, was repatriated from Australia to be sold by Strauss & Co.
10 May 2016
Strauss & Co's upcoming auction will be headlined by a striking portrait, returning from Australia, of one of Irma Stern’s closest friends. It will go on auction on Monday 23 May at the Wanderers Club in Johannesburg.
28 April 2016
High-quality artworks by top South African and international artists will feature at Strauss & Co's auction on 23 May at the Wanderers Club in Johannesburg
25 April 2016
Strauss & Co is delighted to present a striking 1943 portrait by Irma Stern, the prolific South African expressionist painter who ranks alongside Georgia O'Keeffe and Louise Bourgeois as amongst the ten most expensive women artists sold at auction globally between 2005-15. The painting will be sold at auction on 23 May 2016 in Johannesburg.
7 April 2016
Decorative Arts highlights for 8th April On Line auction
7 April 2016
Strauss & Co’s next eagerly awaited Online auction, which will run from 8 to 18 April 2016, features some of South Africa’s favourite artists, at accessible prices and unrivalled convenience.
29 March 2016
Do you know what your art is worth? Strauss & Co specialists will provide free valuations at their Johannesburg premises on Tuesday 5 April 2016.
14 March 2016
Important South African and International Art, Decorative Arts and Jewellery
14 March 2016
At Strauss & Co's auction Monday in Cape Town, Robert Hodgins' roguish Bad Man with Great Threads sold for R2,4 million, more than three times the pre-sale estimates.
7 March 2016
Treasures once part of the historic Vergelegen estate in Somerset West will be sold by Strauss & Co in their much anticipated auction on 14 March.
6 March 2016
International art expert and auctioneer, Dendy Easton, will be in Cape Town this week to provide free valuations and participate in the Strauss & Co auction on March 14th.
3 March 2016
Strauss & Co’s 14 March auction offers art lovers insights into the art and ideas shared by Picasso and Battiss when they met in Paris in the 40s.
26 February 2016
A Vladimir Tretchikoff painting, which had been sold by the artist after a chance meeting with a Pietermaritzburg couple in 1959, could earn its new pensioned owner over half a million when it goes on auction in May.
18 February 2016
Marc Chagall’s Pour Gustave Zumsteg at Strauss & Co’s 14 March auction tells the great story of a restauranteur and the leading artists of the day.
18 February 2016
Look out for Strauss & Co’s eye-catching auction catalogue with its amusing cover, Bad Man in Great Threads (R700 000 – 900 000) by Robert Hodgins.
9 February 2016
Browse, bid or buy from the luxury of your own home on the latest Strauss & Co online auction from 15 - 22 February 2016
8 February 2016
Strauss & Co's upcoming auction on Monday 14 March at the Vineyard Hotel in Cape Town offers many exceptional works by major South African artists from JH Pierneef, Hugo Naudé, Walter Battiss, Gerard Sekoto, Gregoire Boonzaier and Erik Laubscher to Robert Hodgins, William Kentridge, Sue Williamson, Athi-Patra Ruga and Ian Grose. Amongst these, Birds and Boats (R700 000 - 900 000) by Maggie Laubser is one of the most charming paintings by this much-loved artist to appear at auction in recent years, according to Senior Art Specialist Emma Bedford.
27 January 2016
Specialists from South Africa’s premier auction house, Strauss & Co, will be visiting Pretoria on Tuesday 2 February 2016 to provide obligation-free valuations to anyone who is considering selling an artwork, or would merely like to discover its value.
19 January 2016
A month before he passed away on 25 December 2015, distinguished art expert and auctioneer Stephan Welz presided over yet another successful sale at Strauss & Co when, on 9 November, he knocked down painter Alexis Preller’s oil and gesso work The Creation of Adam I (1968) for R8.5 million in Johannesburg. The extraordinary sale result established a new South African record for this enigmatic painter.
23 November 2015
Last month, in a packed lecture held at the offices of fine art auctioneers Strauss & Co, Stephan Welz, the longest practising fine art expert and auctioneer in South Africa, held the room rapt as he concentrated his attention on the phenomenal, and largely unsung, contribution made to local arts and culture by Jewish philanthropists.
9 November 2015
Important South African and International Art, Drawings, Watercolours, Paintings, Prints and Sculpture
9 November 2015
A rare bronze sculpture of a miner by Anton van Wouw more than doubled its previous record set in 2013, selling for R4.8 million at Strauss and Co’s summer sale held at The Wanderers in Johannesburg last night. A striking number of the top lots at the auction house’s evening session achieved record prices, including important works by Anton van Wouw, Alexis Preller, Norman Catherine and Cecily Sash.
3 November 2015
Caro Wiese is a lover of beautiful things. This understated collector, who recently joined the board of Strauss & Co, the largest fine art auction house in South Africa, talks of her enduring love for art and literature.
16 October 2015
High-quality artworks representing a number of top South African and international artists at their best are among the pieces on auction at Strauss & Co's Summer auction on 9 November at the Wanderers Club in Johannesburg
15 October 2015
Strauss & Co's summer auction on 9 November at the Wanderers Club will include among its highlights an Italian casting of Anton van Wouw's famous Dagga Smoker. The sculpture was donated by the artist as a raffle prize to raise funds for the Dutch Relief Fund during World War 2. Tickets cost one shilling (10 cents). At the time the sculpture was valued at 60 pounds. It is expected to fetch in excess of R350 000 on auction this November.
13 October 2015
Important South African and International Art, Furniture, Decorative Arts and Jewellery
13 October 2015
Last night a chest of drawers sold for close on R2 600 000 at Strauss & Co's auction in Cape Town drawing gasps from the packed saleroom. This important 18th century chest of drawers, which was formerly part of the collection of Vergelegen, was hotly contested between two international buyers on the telephone.
5 October 2015
Items which emerged from the sale in 1942 of The Contents of Vergelegen, the property of Sir Lionel and Lady Phillips will be offered for sale at Strauss & Co, in Cape Town, on 12 October 2015. These include two 18th century aquatints of Cape Town, originally purchased for 3 guineas each (R4 000 - 6 000), and an ornate George III giltwood cartel clock (Edward Clarke, London) inscribed on the reverse ''Mrs L Phillips'' (R25 000 - 30 000). Also with the same provenance is a George III style linen press which bears an inventory label for Sir Lionel Phillips Bart, Tylney Hall, his former home in England (R15 000 - 20 000).
5 October 2015
Property from the Rodwell House Collection to be included in Strauss & Co's Auction of Important South African and International Art, Furniture, Decorative Arts and Jewellery, Cape Town 12 October 2015
25 September 2015
By Sean O’Toole. Rejection can be motivating force in an artist’s life. Take the definitive “no” that prefaced the start of much-loved painter Erik Laubscher’s prodigious career. In 1946, Tulbagh-born Laubscher, whose work is now highly sought after, knocked on a door at the Michaelis School of Fine Art and enquired from a secretary about his application to study at this prestigious Cape Town art school.
15 September 2015
Strauss & Co's Spring auction on 12 October at the Vineyard Hotel in Newlands promises a veritable cornucopia of rare and beautiful South African and international art from Irma Stern, JH Pierneef, Pieter Wenning, Jean Welz, Walter Battiss and Erik Laubscher to Robert Hodgins, William Kentridge and Penny Siopis. Younger artists include Georgina Gratrix, Athi-Patra Ruga, 2015 winner of the Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Performance Art, and Mohau Modisakeng. An early hand-coloured print by Colin Richards is likely to appeal to discerning collectors. International works range from seventeenth-century portrait paintings to works by Paul Gauguin, Henri Matisse and Diego Rivera.
10 September 2015
In a long career spanning 85 years, Peter Clarke produced remarkably few portraits of children making this Portrait of a Young Boy a rare find.
4 September 2015
Draw breath for the one shilling Dagga Smoker set for a high of almost half a million Rand at Strauss & Co auction
3 September 2015
Strauss & Co ensures art enthusiasts worldwide stay connected with new upgraded highly personalised mobile-friendly website
2 June 2015
A rare sculpture by the South African born artist Ernest Mancoba who left South Africa in 1938 for Paris where he met and married the famous Dutch artist Sonja Verlov, last night astounded the South African art buying public when it sold for R613 872.
2 June 2015
A painting by the celebrated larger than life artist and chef, Braam Kruger, popularly known as "kitchen boy" depicting himself and his erstwhile girlfriend the actress Grethe Fox as Justice, as well as Adam and Eve after The Fall in the nude, last night was sold by Strauss & Co in Johannesburg for R204 624, setting a new record for the artist. Kruger, who died in 2008, for many years presented a popular cooking program on television.
2 June 2015
A painting by the celebrated Dutch artist Kees van Dongen of his much loved daughter Dolly which was painted in 1909, was the most expensive painting sold by Strauss & Co at their auction in Johannesburg last night. The painting realised R5 684 000 which well exceeded the pre-sale estimate.
30 May 2015
Important South African and International Art, Johannesburg, 1 June 2015, Lot 175 Athi-Patra Ruga is as comfortable and thought-provoking expressing his ideas on sexuality, gender, consumerism, race and politics as he is in working through numerous mediums, whether video, photography, performance , interventions or textiles.
28 May 2015
At Strauss & Co's auction of Important South African and International Art on Monday 1 June, artworks to the value of over R40 million are set to go under the hammer. Amongst the highlights is an arresting portrait by renowned Dutch artist, Kees Van Dongen, of his beloved daughter Dolly.
20 May 2015
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.
16 May 2015
Important South African and International Art, Johannesburg, Lot 258
16 May 2015
Important South African and International Art, 1 June 2015
16 May 2015
Important South African and International Art, Johannesburg, 1 June 2015
16 May 2015
Important South African and International Art, Johannesburg, 1 June 2015, Lot 263
16 May 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.
16 May 2015
Important South African and International Art, Johannesburg, 1 June 2015, Lot 208
1 April 2015
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.
20 March 2015
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.
20 March 2015
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.
18 March 2015
Phenomenal results achieved at Strauss & Co's Cape Town 16 March Auction - over R50 million sold. Here a list of the top ten lots by value with images of the top three.
11 March 2015
Modestly scaled and less architectonic than his oils, JH Pierneef's casein paintings are widely regarded as amongst his most lyrical works. The artist is said to have produced upwards of 50 landscape studies using casein, a milk-based binding agent that Pierneef obtained from a Dusseldorf-based supplier. Characterised by their notational brushstrokes and impressionistic use of colour, Pierneef's casein works are a benchmark of his intuition and assuredness as a painter.
10 March 2015
This was Hodgins' favourite painting. It was borrowed from the owner for Hodgins to enjoy and display in his home until his death when it was returned to the owner.
10 March 2015
Born in a shtetl outside Warsaw, Kibel left Poland in 1923 to avoid conscription. He initially settled in Vienna, but in 1925 relocated to Jerusalem, later moving to Tel Aviv, where he met Frieda. Dogged by financial hardship, Kibel immigrated to South Africa in 1929. He arrived alone, his pregnant wife despatched to Warsaw due to visa problems. Kibel's arrival date in Cape Town coincided with the birth of Joseph, who would only come to South Africa three and a half years later with his mother.
9 March 2015
In 1982 Stephan Welz sold Tretchikoff's 'Zulu Maiden' at auction for R1700. On 16 March Strauss & Co, under direction of Stephan Welz, the work will once again see the saleroom, this time at an estimate of R1 900 000 - 2 200 000.
9 March 2015
Mapogga Wedding (1952) finds Alexis Preller on the cusp between a relatively naturalistic depiction of his African subject and the investiture of that subject with mystical and hieratic properties and overtones.
9 March 2015
On Monday afternoon, at 4pm, 16 March, an impressive collection of Africana will be offered on auction at Strauss & Co in Cape Town. Items include historic documents, books, sketches and diaries by Sir William Warre, William Daniell, William John Burchell, John Barrow, William Cornwallis Harris, Reverend Latrobe, and Mortimer Menpes.
6 March 2015
Ed Young's 'Arch' is flying high in the foyer of the Vineyard Hotel in Cape Town. It will feature amongst some of the very best in South African and international art when it comes up for sale at an estimated R450 000 â?? 550 000 at Strauss & Co's next auction.
6 March 2015
Jacob Hendrik Pierneef's painting of 'The Maluti Mountains' (1 200 000 â?? 1 600 000) at Strauss & Co's upcoming auction on 16 March 2015 at the Vineyard Hotel, Newlands in Cape Town, tells a fascinating South African story. Not only is it a extraordinary painting from the period which Esmé Berman described as one of "discovery and mastery" but it was purchased by a remarkable man instrumental in developing South Africa's educational and cultural institutions.
6 March 2015
A historic diamond brooch, belonging to Colonel Sir David Harris, pioneer of the South African diamond industry, director of de Beers, Barney Barnato's first cousin and close friend of Cecil John Rhodes, will go under the hammer in Cape Town on Monday 16 March at Strauss & Co's auction. Originally a gift from Colonel Sir David Harris to his wife, Rosa Gabriel of Pomerania (Prussia), whom he married in 1873, it is estimated to fetch R400 000 - 450 000.
6 March 2015
Some of the very best in South African and international art is on offer at Strauss & Co's upcoming auction on 16 March in Cape Town. These include key contemporary works by globally recognised artists such as Berlinde De Bruyckere, Nam June Paik, Huang Gang, Yayoi Kusama, William Kentridge and Penny Siopis.
3 February 2015
It is impossible to predict what will happen in the future, but the last six years have been remarkable in the history of the South African art market and Strauss & Co has undoubtedly played a significant role.
21 January 2015
Some of the very best in South African and international modern and contemporary art is on offer at Strauss & Co's upcoming auction scheduled for 16 March 2014 at the Vineyard Hotel, Newlands in Cape Town, including key contemporary works by globally recognised artists such as Berlinde De Bruyckere, Nam June Paik, Huang Gang, William Kentridge and Penny Siopis.
11 November 2014
The Strauss & Co summer auction conducted in Johannesburg last night totalled R60 million, making this the most successful sale of South African art for many years.
5 November 2014
Strauss & Co is proud to announce the sale of the illustrious Harry Lits Collection of Works by the Amadlozi Group - a highlight of the 10 November auction of Important South African and International Art to be held at the Wanderers Club in Johannesburg.
19 September 2014
Tiger Lilies was painted in 1932, shortly after Irma Stern's return to Cape Town following successful exhibitions in Europe. Marking a significant break with European influence, and Stern's determination to establish her own artistic identity and distinctive South African style, the painting is seminal in her oeuvre.
16 September 2014
The rising interest in Stanley Pinker's art is sure to attract buyers and viewers alike to Strauss & Co's upcoming auction scheduled for 13 October 2014 at the Vineyard Hotel, Newlands in Cape Town when the artist's OH AHA (R1,000,000 - 1,500,000) comes under the hammer.
9 April 2014
South Africa is now unequivocally a part of the booming global online art auction market with the opening of Strauss Onlines second online auction this week.
18 March 2014
A rare and undocumented painting by the celebrated South African artist Stanley Pinker last night set a new world record for the artist when it sold for R3,4 million at Strauss & Co's auction having been hotly contested between ten telephone bidders and buyers in the packed auction room.
26 February 2014
Strauss & Co, Cond Nast House & Garden and Delaire Graff Estate have joined forces to celebrate Cape Town's second annual Art Fair and show some of the most highly valued art that South Africa has produced, to date.
3 February 2014
All eyes are on Strauss & Co's upcoming auction scheduled for 17 March 2014 at The Vineyard Hotel, Newlands in Cape Town. Whether your interests lie in South African or international fine arts, decorative arts or jewellery, there's plenty to tempt the senses.
22 January 2014
All eyes are on Strauss & Co's upcoming auction scheduled for 17 March 2014 at the Vineyard Hotel, Newlands in Cape Town. Whether your interests lie in South African or international fine arts, decorative arts or jewellery, there is plenty to tempt the senses.
1 January 2014
As South Africa's leading auction house of fine and decorative arts, our goal is to offer for sale at auction high quality, unique and fresh to the market pieces at responsible estimates and with impeccable provenance. Our sustained commitment to provide our clients, both buyers and sellers, with the best possible service is of paramount importance and we are grateful to have been rewarded by their continued support.
14 November 2013
record for South African sculpture record for Jane Alexander record for contemporary art in South Africa Johannesburg: History was made at Strauss & Cos auction yesterday evening when Jane Alexanders important sculpture, Untitled, sold for an impressive R5,5 million setting a new record for a South African sculpture, a record for Jane Alexander and a record for contemporary art in South Africa.
30 October 2013
A keen traveller, Irma Stern was also fortunate to have the financial means with which to do so. Her trips also provided her with an abundance of new sights from which she could draw inspiration for her insatiable artistic output.
30 October 2013
At a recent Strauss & Company auction in Cape Town, an original drawing from the opera The Magic Flute sold for R1 591 520.
30 October 2013
The November 11th 2013 Strauss & Co Evening Sale of South African and International Art promises to be a landmark moment for contemporary art in the context of a South African auction.
30 October 2013
In 1971 the University of Cape Town opened the doors of the Irma Stern Museum to the public for the first time.
20 October 2013
A seminal work, Untitled 1985/6, by the eminent South African sculptor, Jane Alexander, will be sold by Strauss & Co in Johannesburg on 11 November 2013 and is expected to fetch over R2million.
14 October 2013
With the exponential growth in online transactions, virtual shopping has become increasingly prevalent in contemporary society. The inevitable development of online auctions has consequently followed suit. Not to be confused with online bidding (which simply refers to placing bids on lots during live, physical auctions via the internet), online-only auctions are virtual auction sales conducted exclusively on the internet.
18 September 2013
The World Wildlife Fund Art Auction, presented by Strauss & Co and Everard Read, raised close on R5 million last night at the CIRCA gallery, in Johannesburg.
7 September 2013
Some of the oldest recorded works of art can be traced to archaeological sites from across southern Africa. Recent research suggests that this ancient art is synonymous with the very essence of being human that the development of cognition allowed our ancestors to think differently and to express unique human traits through language, art and religion.
7 September 2013
Still life paintings are far more than just conglomerations of objects. On the contrary, the choice of objects reveals much about the artists lifestyles, the cultural milieu in which they operate and the values of their time. In addition, with less pressure to produce a likeness, the artist is free to explore new material and new approaches to picture-making.
7 September 2013
Irma Stern is known to have visited Madeira on several occasions, sometimes on extended stays of a few months and at other times probably for a day or two as the Portuguese archipelago that lies about 500 kilometres west of Morocco, was a frequent port of call for ships sailing between Africa and Europe. In 1955 Stern visited Europe to exhibit in Germany once more and also travelled to Turkey. Its likely that she would have called in at Madeira en route.
7 September 2013
A selection of paintings establishing Irma Stern as a leading Modernist painter and, furthermore, as an intrepid collector of top quality African art, will be offered at Strauss & Co's 21 October 2013 auction at the Vineyard Hotel in Newlands, Cape Town.
7 September 2013
Between 1948 and 1949 Alexis Preller enjoyed a sojourn in the Seychelles and whether this sensual still life was painted there or shortly afterwards, it was no doubt inspired by his experiences of the place and its people.
7 September 2013
The 1920s represented a period of experimentation and innovation for Jacob Hendrik Pierneef.
7 September 2013
According to tradition this is a representation of the old President as he witnessed the departure of the first Boer commandos from Pretoria station to the front in Natal. ...
7 September 2013
William Kentridge was commissioned to create 'The Magic Flute' by La Monnaie in Brussels where it opened in April 2005. Used in creating the animation sequences for his production, this drawing evokes the famous scene from the 1816 production with Karl Schinkels set designs in which the Queen of the Night appears beneath a star-studded vault.
7 September 2013
Gregoire Boonzaier was, according to Dr Albert Werth, esteemed former director of the Pretoria Art Museum, the painter of Cape Town who was able, with his characteristic signature, to capture the city in all its changing beauty.1 That signature changed over time, making this early vision remarkable not only for what it reveals historically of the city in the 1940s but for its evidence of the artist's early style.
7 September 2013
The presence of these two impressive paintings by Robert Gwelo Goodman on one sale provides the rare opportunity of seeing some of the artists finest works and assessing how his French training and exposure to the international art world impacted on the development of his style. In 1895 he studied at Pariss famed Acadmie Julian where Henri Matisse was a fellow pupil. Following success in London when three landscape paintings were accepted at The Royal Academy in 1898 and a painting tour of India in 1903/4, he re-settled in South Africa in 1911.
7 September 2013
An artist of uncompromising vision and brilliance.....
7 September 2013
An extraordinary discovery was made when the owners of a beautiful Maggie Laubser painting decided to reframe it. To their surprise, they found an equally good painting on the back. According to Stephan Welz, South Africa's top modern art expert and auctioneer, this remarkable double-sided painting, which is to be offered at Strauss & Co's 21 October auction at the Vineyard Hotel in Newlands, also has an impeccable provenance and interesting history.
24 May 2013
Last Thursday evening a glamorous occasion took place in the Wanderers Club Ballroom Johannesburg, during which 50 magnificent garments of vintage couture from the private collection of South African fashion legend Chris Levin, went under the hammer.
20 May 2013
Strauss & Co, Johannesburg: The much disputed decision by the Institute for Catholic Education to sell the Cecil Skotnes triptych removed from the Santa Sophia Chapel in Pretoria has had an astounding result.
15 May 2013
Controversial Russian born artist Vladimir Tretchikoff, nicknamed King of Kitsch, is top of the pops as auction prices for his paintings continue to soar, seemingly eclipsing the two long-time market leaders Pierneef and Stern.
15 May 2013
Johannesburg: Frans Oerder's still life, Blossom Time, will be sold at Strauss & Co's much anticipated Evening Sale on Monday 20 May 2013 in the Wanderers Club Ballroom.
10 May 2013
Strauss & Co's autumn auction of important South African & International Art to be held at The Wanderers Club in Johannesburg on Monday, 20 May, features two sleek and stylish items of office furniture designed by the celebrated Danish architect and designer, Bodil Kjaer.
10 May 2013
Johannesburg: Dying Swan by Vladimir Tretchikoff, one of the most commercially successful artists of our time, will be sold by leading auction house, Strauss & Co, on 20 May 2013
29 April 2013
Strauss & Co, in conjunction with the charity Vintage, with Love, are staging an auction of vintage couture from the personal archives of the legendary South African couturier, Chris Levin.
24 April 2013
A striking number of iconic artworks by South Africas foremost artists will lead Strauss & Cos South African and International Art sale at The Wanderers Club, Illovo, Johannesburg on 20 May 2013.
5 February 2013
Strauss & Co realised a staggering R46 million at last nights Cape Town auction.
14 January 2013
Our fourth year in operation is now behind us and it gives me great pleasure to announce that we continue to do very well.
10 January 2013
Contemporary jewellery is very much in vogue as traditions are being challenged.More than ever, jewellers, designers and collectors are coming together to create interesting pieces through a combination of craftsmanship, creativity and patronage. Highlighting the jewellery session of Strauss & Cos forthcoming auction which takes place in Cape Town on the 4 February 2013, are 44 lots from the personal collection of Pretoria-based German Jeweller, the late Erich Frey.
3 January 2013
This exceptional painting by one of South Africas most sought-after artists is made all the more rare by the fact that Wolf Kibels career was cut short in 1938 due to ill health. Like Pinkers "Castagniers", estimated at R30 000 40 000 and finally sold for R105 830 after fierce bidding at Strauss & Cos October 2010 sale, this is a key work in South African art history and belongs in a major public or serious private collection.
3 January 2013
Strauss & Co is privileged to have been entrusted with the sale of Cape Furniture from the Collection of Dr Bothma Buitendag which will go under the hammer in Cape Town on Monday 4 February 2013.
1 January 2013
Anton van Wouws Miner with a Hand Drill, dated 1911, is a rare and remarkable example of his best sculpture. Few castings exist of this large bronze measuring 60 centimetres in height as, even in Van Wouws lifetime, its price was exceptionally high, according to Professor Dr Alexander Duffey.(i) No other bronze by Van Wouw has excited so much interest at auction since Strauss & Co achieved R2 228 000 in March 2010 for the sculptors Bad News cast at the G. Massa Foundry in Rome.
1 January 2013
"Africana" is related in content and structure to two important works also created in 1990 and now in major public collections.
1 January 2013
Malay Girl is a superb painting, confirming Irma Sterns unparalleled stature as an artist. The South African auction world has seen no comparable portrait since Strauss & Co sold Sterns Arab in June 2012 for R17 267 000. Painted in 1938, Malay Girl contains all the elements of her finest works.
1 January 2013
Walter Battiss is increasingly garnering positive critical acclaim as South Africans become aware of the extent of his practise and influence. While he mastered many media from print-making to performance, his paintings are generally of a modest scale.
1 January 2013
We know that Wenning painted this charming scene between 16th and 28th July 1917. In correspondence between the artist and D C Boonzaier dated 28 July 1917, the latter indicated that since Wenning had moved into his new room in the city twelve days previously, he had produced two small paintings of the Malay quarter of which this is one. (i)
1 January 2013
Cape Kitchen Interior is a delightful painting extolling the charms of simple domestic life in the Cape during the late nineteenth century. Its subject and style are derived from Dutch seventeenth-century genre paintings via the noted painter Franz von Lenbach, under whom Naud studied in Munich from 1890 to 1894 and whose style was influenced by Rembrandt
1 January 2013
"Portrait of a Girl with Geese" is one of the loveliest paintings by Maggie Laubser to have come onto the market in many years. Not only is it an excellent example of her early and much sought-after works but it has an impeccable provenance. It was acquired by Professor Pieter van Braam, Professor of Classics at Stellenbosch University, from the 1930 exhibition organised by the Federasie van Afrikaanse Kultuurverenigings in Stellenbosch and has been in the same family for several generations.
3 December 2012
One of Irma Sterns most compelling portraits ever to come to the market will be offered at Strauss & Cos upcoming auction to be held on 4 February at the Vineyard Hotel in Newlands. Malay Girl, painted in 1938 and estimated to fetch between R10 000 000 15 000 000, provides extraordinary insights into the curious life of a child. The girl looks directly at the viewer, engaging us in a way that is neither challenging nor retiring. She meets the viewers gaze on equal terms. Rather than infantilising the child, the artist has provided a portrait of a thoughtful individual.
12 November 2012
The South African public has been left aghast at the value of work stolen from the Pretoria Art Museum only to be followed the next day by record prices paid for paintings by Alexis Preller and Walter Battiss amongst others which ran into millions of rands at a Strauss & Cos auction in Johannesburg.
12 November 2012
The discovery of two exceptional paintings by Maggie Laubser, one out of the public eye for 80 years, is creating great interest amongst art lovers and collectors in anticipation of Strauss & Cos upcoming auction to be held at the Vineyard Hotel, Newlands, on 4 February 2013.
25 October 2012
The entire contents of Keerweder, regarded as one of the finest monuments in the entire Franschhoek Valley by acclaimed author and art historian Dr Hans Fransen, went under the hammer on Monday evening, 22 October.
24 October 2012
Strauss & Co will be offering two rare oils by acclaimed Namibian landscape painter, Adolph Jentsch, in the 12 November auction in Johannesburg.
24 October 2012
Studies of San rock art has had a profound and lasting effect on many South Africas artists not the least of which were JH Pierneef and Walter Battiss.
24 October 2012
Following the world record set in June, Strauss & Company are delighted to be offering a number of works by Robert Hodgins in the November auction.
24 October 2012
The timelessness of Alexis Prellers iconography has been unequivocally demonstrated through the prices in excess of two million rand achieved by Strauss & Co in 2010. To the delight of collectors of top quality South African art, a feast of Alexis Preller works are being offered at the companys forthcoming auction in Johannesburg which takes place on Monday 12 November 2012.
24 October 2012
For the first time in South African auction history a seminal work by well-known South African photographer Pieter Hugo is coming under the hammer at Strauss & Companys 12 November auction at the Johannesburg Country Club in Woodmead.
24 October 2012
The final sale of Strauss & Companys 2012 auction calendar is set for 12 November 2012. Comprising 237 items across the full spectrum of South African art there promises to be something for everyone, it is however the number of museum quality works that is sure to draw the buyers in.
24 October 2012
Lucas Sithole has proven highly collectable at recent auctions. A record result just shy of a million rand was achieved for Strauss & Companys 5 May 2011 auction in Johannesburg subsequent auctions have built on this result and pieces coming up at auctions have been eagerly snapped up by local collectors.
11 October 2012
The final sale of Strauss & Companys 2012 auction calendar is set for 12 November 2012. Comprising 237 items across the full spectrum of South African art there promises to be something for everyone, it is however the number of museum quality works that is sure to draw the buyers in.
9 October 2012
If you are looking for an excuse for a lovely day in the country in this case, Franschhoek and a chance to see a magnificent house with the contents arranged as though the owners have just popped out for a minute, go to Keerweder on Friday 19 October or the following two days. You can park in the area just round the corner from the Huguenot museum, whence a Citi Hopper will whisk you to the homestead itself. Viewing is 10am to 5pm each day and the sale, conducted by Strauss & Company, (tel. 021 683 6500) is on Monday 22nd.
6 October 2012
Strauss & Co: At yesterdays Strauss & Co auction which took place at the Vineyard Hotel in Cape Town, the extraordinary results totalling in excess of R37 million proved that the best art, decorative arts and jewellery are in great demand. Bidders competed actively for desirable items which were from private collections, fresh to the market and rarely seen at auction.
22 September 2012
A wide range of fine and decorative arts, furniture and jewellery will have punters spoilt for choice at Strauss & Cos upcoming auction to be held at the Vineyard Hotel, Newlands, on 8 October 2012.
15 September 2012
Strauss & Co is delighted to have been entrusted with the sale of the contents of Keerweder the handsome Cape Dutch homestead on one of the oldest farms in Franschhoek, situated at the foot of the Franschhoek mountains against a backdrop of orchards, rolling vines and English rose gardens.
15 September 2012
Stanley Pinker lived between London and Nice from 1952 until 1964 when he returned to Cape Town. 'The Dam at Eenzaamheid', Longkloof would have been produced relatively soon after his return. Interestingly it bears a strong resemblance to the Romantic landscapes favoured by early twentieth-century British landscape painters such as Graham Sutherland, John Piper and Paul Nash with their predilection for autumnal tones, organic forms, scarred earth and occasional architectural ruins, employing Surrealist overtones or Gothic drama to evoke post-war experiences.
6 September 2012
Born to a Jewish family in Durban, Vivienne Linder, nee Adley was educated at the Maris Stella Convent before continuing her singing and drama training at the University of Natal Durban, where she spent the next three years under the watchful eye of Elizabeth Sneddon. In 1957, having completed her degree, she continued at the Webber-Douglas School of Singing and Dramatic Art in London, where she was one of the debutantes presented to the Queen at Buckingham Palace in the summer of 1958.
6 September 2012
Erik Laubscher studied under Maurice van Essche at the Continental School of Art in Cape Town in 1946 and 1947. His studies at the Anglo-French Art Centre in London in the following two years exposed him to respected artists who were pushing the boundaries of modernist art, but it was the period he spent in Paris at the Acadmie Montmartre, from 1950 to 1951 under Fernand Lger, which had the greatest impact on the development of his painting style. Both favoured bright primary colours and strong lines that defined forms or even operated quite independently of form.
6 September 2012
This large reclining male figure has its origin in Ubu Tells the Truth, a portfolio of 8 etchings produced in 1996-7 and the theatre production Ubu & the Truth Commission, which premiered in Weimar, Germany, launching an international tour that culminated in 1998 at Spier in Stellenbosch.
6 September 2012
William Kentridge is one of South Africas most globally renowned artists but unique works such as this seldom come up at auction. Its bold colour, its powerful form and its substantial size give this early mixed media work its great impact. Within the drawn contours of a supine head, a map of Africa in a coral colour appears to be riven with golden seams where the paper has been carefully torn.
6 August 2012
"Dreams and Nightmares of M. de la Q., #2", is one of a series of four paintings which Helmut Starcke dedicated to the woman behind the Governor of the Cape, Maria van Riebeeck, ne De la Quellerie. It forms part of a larger body of work in which the artists stated intention was to reclaim something of the drama of the confluence of art and history in the seventeenth century by contrasting the opulence of the Golden Age of Dutch art with the paucity of the colonial visual record of life at the Cape. It will be offered for sale on Monday 22 October 2012,at Keerweder, in Franschhoek.
5 August 2012
An important part of the art of Walter Battiss is a confluence of specific African and Western pictorial traditions. The Western bequest was passed on to him by local art institutions modelled on European establishments. His African heritage is the bounty of his own research.1
1 July 2012
Irma Stern produced a number of paintings of harvest scenes in the 1960s which Neville Dubow has described as lyrical figures-in-landscape compositions, loosely knit yet held together by sweeping rhythms that bind earth, workers and sky.(1) We know that she visited Europe in 1961 and painted in Spain. Its quite possible that Tomato Pickers was painted there as the harvesters wear the same loose-robed dresses and yellow sun hats as seen in Siesta, also painted in 1961. (2)
11 June 2012
Johannesburg: At Strauss & Co's Important South African Paintings auction held this evening at the Country Club in Woodmead, a major portrait by celebrated artist Irma Stern sold for a startling R17 267 000, the second highest price ever achieved for a painting sold at auction in South Africa (the highest price was achieved last year when Strauss & Co sold Two Arabs also by Stern for R21 166 000).
29 May 2012
Irma Stern has captured the attention of art lovers and serious buyers alike with her paintings achieving phenomenal prices, including the highest price ever paid for any work of art at auction in South Africa when the painting, Two Arabs, was sold by Strauss & Co for R21 166 000 in September 2011. Arab, also painted in 1939, comes up at Strauss & Cos 11 June 2012 auction in Johannesburg.
22 May 2012
Strauss & Cos Paintings Department, headed by leading art expert and auctioneer Stephan Welz, features handpicked professionals, whose tenure and experience is difficult to match.
20 April 2012
Irma Sterns studies of Arabs have caused so much of an uproar in the South African art market that they can be likened to an Arab Spring with Strauss & Co playing no small role in this. Irma Sterns Arab (R7 000 000 9 000 000), painted on the artists first visit to Zanzibar in 1939, is attracting considerable interest given Strauss & Cos record-breaking sale last year of Irma Sterns Two Arabs for R21 166 000, the highest price ever achieved for any painting at auction in South Africa.
22 March 2012
Following the record-breaking sale last year of Irma Sterns Two Arabs for R21 166 000, the highest price ever achieved for a painting in South Africa, Strauss & Cos 11 June auction in Johannesburg will feature another extraordinary painting from this celebrated artist.
9 March 2012
Following the record breaking sale last year of Irma Stern's Two Arabs, Strauss & Co previews its June sale of South African and International Art by announcing this star lot by Irma Stern from her celebrated Zanzibari series.
22 February 2012
All eyes are on Robert Hodgins A Gentleman from Mexico coming up at Strauss & Cos next auction of important South African and international art to be held at the Country Club Johannesburg at Woodmead on 11 June 2012.
22 February 2012
Strauss & Co, the global leader in the South African art auction market, is offering valuations on works of art. Senior Art Specialist, Emma Bedford, will be in Strauss & Cos Houghton offices on 6 and 7 March to provide valuations and advice to collectors and source works of art for upcoming auctions.
9 February 2012
Strauss & Co, Cape Town, 6 February 2012: the celebrated collection of glass, Chinese works of art, ceramics and Japanese Cloisonne' assembled by the late Professor Walter Beck sold this week by leading auction house Strauss & Co for R1,5 million, 50% more than anticipated.
31 January 2012
Stanley Pinkers Girl in Sunglasses, estimated at R300 000 500 000, on Strauss & Cos upcoming auction to be held at the Vineyard Hotel, Newlands, on 6 February 2012, has been revealed as Anna Starcke, prize-winning journalist, author, publisher and political risk and transformation consultant to business leaders over the past 30 years
1 December 2011
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.
1 December 2011
A dazzling array of art and glass are offered at Strauss & Cos upcoming auction to be held at the Vineyard Hotel, Newlands, on 6 February 2012.
7 November 2011
At an auction by Strauss & Co last night several new South African art auction records were established despite the weaker art market.
15 October 2011
Three major works by Gerard Sekoto feature on Strauss & Co's upcoming auction on 7 November 2011 at the Country Club Johannesburg in Woodmead. Sekoto's international status as a major African artist is affirmed by Dr Christine Mullen Kreamer, Deputy Director & Chief Curator, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution: Gerard Sekoto is a very important figure in the art history of African modernism. He sensitively portrays the dignity of daily life in black communities in paintings rich with color and infused with a light that seems to glow from within. His works suggest a sense of calm, despite the challenges that this artist must have endured under apartheid. His international reputation was hard-fought and justly earned.
14 October 2011
Lucas Sithole's Charging Afrikander set the auction room alight at Strauss & Co's May sale when fierce bidding drove the price way above the estimates of R300 000 – 500 000 to achieve a record of R946 900.
26 September 2011
Strauss & Co, Cape Town: An Irma Stern of Two Arabs last night set a new record for a work of art in South Africa when it sold in Cape Town for R21 166 000. The sale which totalled over R50 million set several new South African art auction records.
29 August 2011
The star of the show in Strauss & Co's September 2011 auction in Cape Town is Two Arabs by Irma Stern. This painting is one of the highlights from a group of works painted by Irma Stern in Zanzibar in 1939 where she spent four months. It ranks equally with two major Sterns recently sold at auction, Arab Priest, which achieved R33 411 915 and Bahora Girl, which sold for R26 062 159.
23 August 2011
Irma Stern's Two Arabs (R20 000 000 – 25 000 000) is certainly the most important painting to be offered at auction in South Africa over the past decade and will no doubt create a great deal of excitement amongst collectors at Strauss & Co's upcoming auction to be held at the Vineyard Hotel, Newlands, on 26 September 2011.
21 July 2011
Cape Town: This week the Michaelis School of Fine Art hosted its much anticipated Alumni and Staff Auction in aid of bursaries and scholarships at the school. Stephan Welz, Managing Director of Strauss & Co. and his team auctioned ninety lots of work by prestigious and emerging artists, raising a substantial sum which the school will use to establish a fund to support talented and needy students with their studies.
5 July 2011
An exhibition and auction of artworks by prominent alumni from the Michaelis School of Fine Art - in aid of bursaries and scholarships at the school - From the 12 to 20 July 2011 the Michaelis School of Fine Art, University of Cape Town, will host a fundraising exhibition and auction of work of its prestigious alumni and staff, in aid of bursaries and scholarships at the school, Hiddingh Campus, 37 Orange Street, Gardens, Cape Town.
20 May 2011
JOHANNESBURG: Strauss & Co's auction held on Monday 16 May reinforced the strength of the current art market when a capacity audience bid enthusiastically on key art pieces realising a total of R37 902 555.
10 May 2011
The publicity we have put out for this remarkable painting by Irma Stern has elicited response enabling us to identify the sitter – a distinguished, if not one of the greatest South African musicians ever.
14 April 2011
Strauss & Co's upcoming auction at the Johannesburg Country Club, Woodmead, on 16 May has many highlights and some surprises. Reflecting on recent trends, Stephan Welz, Strauss & Co's esteemed auctioneer, anticipates an impending and necessary shift of emphasis in the South African art market.
13 April 2011
The paintings of Pieter Wenning, a grossly underrated artist in the opinion of Stephan Welz, are exciting much interest amongst art collectors with At Claremont, CP having sold for R1 782 400 at Strauss & Co's March 2011 sale in Cape Town, establishing a new record for the artist.
1 April 2011
The Mount Nelson, Cape Town: Last night at a charity auction conducted by Stephan Welz, Managing Director of Strauss & Co on behalf of WWF, the opportunity of naming a new found species of iris raised R550 000.
16 March 2011
Cape Town: At Strauss & Co's first auction of the year held last week, showcasing some of the best that South African art has to offer, a total of R50 815 000 was achieved, the second highest total in the company's third year of operation. Three new records were secured: JH Pierneef, Pieter Wenning and Cape silver.
8 March 2011
A Cape Silver coffee pot by an unknown 18th century Cape silversmith with the initials HNS last night sold for R512 400.
3 February 2011
Two remarkable paintings by Pieter Wenning (1873-1921) coming up at Strauss & Co's next auction on 7 March, offer intriguing views of early Cape Town.
28 January 2011
Two paintings which previously shook the South African art market are to be offered for sale at auction again in March.
21 January 2011
While Irma Stern still holds the record for the highest price ever paid for a South African painting on home soil, achieved when her Gladioli sold for R13 368 000 at Strauss & Co's October 2010 auction, two paintings are competing for the top honours at Strauss & Co's March 2011 auction.
7 January 2011
Strauss & Co, Cape Town: On 7 March 2011 a fine example of a Gold Kouros by Alexis Preller from the Collection of Coba and Hennie Diedericks will be offered for sale at auction along with a selection of highly important works by celebrated South African artists including Irma Stern and Maggie Laubser
9 December 2010
Lemon Pickers is one of the most exciting Irma Stern paintings to come to the market in recent years. Of exceptional quality, it is a very early work, painted in 1928, confirming Stern as a unique and pioneering artist amongst her peers.
1 December 2010
Ons strewe na goeie diens en uitnemendheid bly 'n daaglikse verbintenis wat harde werk en toewyding verg van ons span onder leiding van Stephan Welz. Die gevolg is dat die jaar 2010 alle verwagtinge oortref het ten opsigte van omset, die behaling van rekords en die gehalte van besendings wat ons bevoorreg was om te hanteer.
1 December 2010
Our quest for good service and excellence has remained a daily commitment, which requires hard work and dedication on the part of our team headed by Stephan Welz. The result has been that 2010 has exceeded all expectations in terms of turnover, records achieved and the quality of consignments which we have had the privilege of handling.
12 November 2010
Strauss & Co is holding its first dedicated jewellery sale on 22 November 2010 at the Vineyard Hotel in Newlands. The sale includes pieces by illustrious names in the world of jewellery including Cartier, Carlo Giuliano, van Cleef & Arpels, Harry Winston and Bulgari, together with watches by Patek Philippe, Rolex and Jaeger-Le Coultre.
1 November 2010
Over R66 million, the highest total of the year for any South African art auction anywhere in the world, was realised in Johannesburg on 1 November 2010, proving that South African art sells best on home turf. The record total was all the more remarkable given that Strauss & Co charge considerably lower commission, buyer's premium and VAT than their main competitors.
19 October 2010
Strauss & Co, the top specialist auction house for South African Fine Art, offers its highest value sale to date with a stellar array of top quality paintings by many of South Africa's most sought-after artists on its 1 November auction at the Johannesburg Country Club, Woodmead.
18 October 2010
A still life by celebrated artist Irma Stern sold this week for R13 368 000, setting a new record price for a South African painting at auction. The auction conducted by Strauss & Co featured several works which sold for well in excess of R1 million rand each. The sale totalled over R43 million bringing Strauss & Co's total for the year thus far to over R120 million rand confirming the strength of the local art market and Strauss's leading position as auctioneers of South African art.
11 October 2010
Strauss & Co: Still life by celebrated artist Irma Stern last night sold for R13 368 000, setting a new record price for a South African painting at auction.
23 September 2010
The top lots coming up on Strauss & Co's 11 October sale at the Vineyard Hotel in Newlands are attracting keen attention from prospective buyers. Amongst these, punters are keeping a close watch on Irma Stern's Gladioli (lot 163, R5 000 000 to R7 000 000) after a still life painting by the artist fetched R7 575 200 on the company's Johannesburg auction earlier this year, breaking the record for the highest price achieved at auction for a South African still life.
31 August 2010
Strauss & Co's spring auctions, on 11th October at the Vineyard Hotel and on 1st November at the Country Club Johannesburg in Woodmead respectively, are set to showcase some of the most exciting examples of top South African art ever to come to auction. Amongst these, are a number of key works by Jacob Hendrik Pierneef that have been treausured in private collections and not been seen publically.
30 August 2010
Inspirational women activists, Ruth First and Lilian Ngoyi, are immortalised in a fine lithograph by renowned artist Dumile Feni, which is coming up at Strauss & Co's auction to be held at The Country Club Johannesburg in Woodmead on 1 November 2010.
3 August 2010
Strauss & Co is delighted to host valuation days, lectures and exclusive jewellery appreciation courses in Johannesburg and Cape Town to be conducted by internationally acclaimed jewellery expert, Joanna Hardy.
23 July 2010
Stephen Welz, South Africa's leading fine art auctioneer and expert, and Vanessa Phillips, senior furniture, silver and ceramics expert will be in Hermanus at the Marine Hotel on Friday, 30 July from 10:30 to 15:30 to provide confidentail valuations with a view to sell at Strauss & Co.
23 July 2010
Following Strauss and Co's extraordinary success in selling Irma Stern's Still Life with Gladioli and Fruit for R7 575 200, another still life with Gladioli by Stern has come to the market. Painted in 1939, five years after Stern produced the painting that excited so much heated bidding at the Johannesburg auction on 24 May earlier this year, this painting with estimates of R5 000 000 to R7 000 000 is sure to rouse wide interest at Strauss & Co's 11 October sale at the Vineyard Hotel in Newlands.
26 June 2010
The Wheel of Life, a key work by acclaimed South African painter, Stanley Pinker, displays all the signature elements of the artist's vocabulary. Drawing on a profound understanding of art history and engaging with the contradictions of the South African political and environmental landscape, Pinker forges these elements into a witty and eloquent commentary on this country.
25 June 2010
Strauss & Co is gearing up for yet another spectacular sale on 11 October 2010 at the Vineyard Hotel in Newlands. Managing Director Stephan Welz's recent visit to Cape Town drew phenomenal responses from eager collectors seeking valuations and wanting to consign valuable items to the next auction. The turnout netted a cache of top works by Irma Stern, J H Pierneef, Maggie Laubser, Stanley Pinker, Cecil Skotnes, Lucky Sibiya, William Kentridge and many more.
30 May 2010
Auctioneer Stephan Welz, the head of art auctioneers Strauss & Co, owes his success largely to a visit to Cape Town, where it seemed as if the statue of Cecil John Rhodes in The Gardens, next to the National Gallery, had a message for him:
25 May 2010
Johannesburg: Strauss & Co, South Africa's leading fine art auctioneers, set a new world record for a still life by a South African artist, improving on their own record set last March. (R7 241 000 for Irma Stern's, Magnolias in an Earthenware Pot ). Irma Stern's Still Life with Gladioli and Fruit sold for R7 575 million in Johannesburg last night. This is also a record for a still life by Stern.
18 May 2010
Strauss & Co, South Africa's premier auction house with Stephan Welz, leading auctioneer and expert at its helm, announces yet another spectacular auction which takes place at the Johannesburg Country Club, Woodmead on 24 May 2010.
10 May 2010
Maud Sumner, one of South Africa's most underrated artists, makes a fine showing at the forthcoming Strauss & Co auction of Important British, Continental and South African Paintings and Sculpture which takes place on 24 May in Johannesburg. According to Stephan Welz, Managing Director of Strauss & Co, South Africa's leading fine art auction house, "Maud Sumner is an underpriced South African artist whose work makes a sound investment".
3 May 2010
Long-time friend and artistic collaborator with Robert Hodgins and William Kentridge on a number of print and film projects, Deborah Bell has developed her own distinctive style that explores the entanglements of histories and cultures by drawing on a diversity of imagery that includes African, Asian, Middle Eastern and European sources. Her approach is less academic than intuitive and imaginative
2 May 2010
A significant number of works by Edoardo Villa, Cecil Skotnes, Sydney Kumalo, Giuseppe Cattaneo and Ezrom Legae have been gathered together for Strauss & Co's 24 May auction in Johannesburg. According to Stephan Welz, South Africa's most reputable fine art auctioneer, "visitors to the preview at The Country Club at Woodmead, will have a rare opportunity to see the works of these artists who as a group and as individuals, have had a marked influence on the development of South African art".
25 March 2010
A magnificent Irma Stern painting entitled Still Life with Dahlias and Fruit is one of the many impressive works coming up for auction at Strauss & Co's Johannesburg sale on 24 May 2010.
16 March 2010
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.
8 February 2010
Racework – in the event of an earthquake, one of Jane Alexander's most appealing and affecting sculptures, was made in response to Alexander's visit to Tokyo, where she was invited to show the Bom Boys on the exhibition, Africa Africa at the Tobu Museum of Art in late 1998. Identical to each other, the Racework figures make reference to preconceived ideas about difference, exoticism, and stereotypes based on visual markers, and with that, assumptions, discrimination and prejudice based on appearance.
8 February 2010
The impact of the South African war, or more specifically, the second Anglo-Boer war (1899 – 1902) was deeply felt amongst South Africans when Van Wouw produced this bronze in 1907.
1 February 2010
Edith Dodo 1923 – 2009 Edith Dodo, née Azgour, was born in Cairo where her father was a perfumier. They relocated to Paris where Edith went to school and was introduced to a world of art, design and fashion that was to leave a lasting impression on her. When Edith was fifteen the family immigrated to South Africa and settled in Johannesburg where she completed her schooling before going on to the Johannesburg Art School.
5 December 2009
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
2 December 2009
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.
13 October 2009
Strauss & Co's Cape Town inaugural auction of Highly Important Paintings, Furniture, Silver and Ceramics including the Leslie Milner Collection held on 8 October 2009 at the prestigious Vineyard Hotel in Newlands, realised a remarkable R39 million, bringing the turnover for the auction house in its first year of operation to more than R100 million and thereby placing Strauss & Co. firmly at the helm of the South African art market. The Leslie Milner Collection of South African Paintings alone totalled R4.5 million. With an 89.63% sold rate, several new world records were also achieved for works by Wolf Kibel, Stanley Pinker, Johannes Meintjes, Fanie Eloff, Gerard de Leeuw, May Hillhouse and Jean Welz, amongst others.
8 October 2009
If the price of art and antiques is anything to go by, South Africa is fast coming out of it's recession.
1 October 2009
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.
11 September 2009
Johannesburg: Strauss & Co's auction held this week at the Johannesburg Country Club in Woodmead confirms certain strengths in the art market and that South Africa is the place to buy South African art.
10 September 2009
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.
10 September 2009
A highly important mid-18th century Cape coromandel buffet with silver mounts by Johannes Casparus Lotter is to be offered for sale by Strauss & Co. in their inaugural Cape Town auction on 8 October 2009.
15 August 2009
Spring Auction in Johannesburg, Monday 7 September 2009, Important British, Continental and South African Paintings, Drawings, Prints and Sculpture, Country Club, Johannesburg, Woodmead
15 August 2009
Edoardo Villa is one of South Africa's most enigmatic sculptors who, in both in style and personality, indelibly stamped his African Vision onto his works and into our consciousness over a period of more than 50 years. The thirteen Villas in the Strauss & Co. upcoming sale are remarkable in that they represent a range of stylistic diversity and evolution not usually seen except in a specifically curated exhibition.
9 March 2009
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.
24 February 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.