Strauss & Co to appraise local fine art
By Linda Machinga
South African fine art auction house, Strauss & Co, will be on a three-day visit in Namibia for art valuation, on 4 September at the Namibian Arts Association in Windhoek. The valuations will be taking place from 09:00 to 17:00.
The company in a statement said the visit enables local art owners to have their art professionally valued as well as gain important insight into the regional art market.
The visit by Dr Meredith and Executive Director, Susie Goodman, comes ahead of Strauss & Co’s upcoming online auction mid-September and its final Johannesburg live sale of the year which takes place on Nov. 12.
The event will be followed by a lecture by senior art specialist, Dr Alastair Meredith at 18:00. Titled ‘A Century of Southern African Arts in 10 Pictures, Dr Meredith’s acclaimed lecture spotlights the work of Alexis Preller, Pierneef and Sydney Khumalo, among others.
According to the statement, in November 2017, a Namibian landscape by Adolph Jentsch was sold for R1,591,520, setting a South African record for the artist. The expensive Namibian landscape has profoundly inspired artists for more than 100 years and this is reflected in many networks sold at auction by Strauss & Co over the years.
One of Strauss & Co’s noticeable discovery of some high-profile works, include Vladimir Tretchikoff’s Witch Doctor which was unearthed during a valuation day in KwaZulu-Natal and went on to achieve an incredible R2,276,000 hammer price in June this year.
According to the company, Strauss & Co’s valuation days have become known for creating an atmosphere and experience similar to the popular BBC programme, Antiques Roadshow.
In addition, Strauss & Co’s valuation days are part of the auction house’s dynamic role in the South Africa’s art market, which includes an ongoing series of online auctions an accessible way for new art buyers and those situated outside Johannesburg and Cape Town to bid on fine art.
Themed auctions have also put the spotlight on different areas of the art market with the most recent being June’s Abstract South African Art online sale.
