Stephan Welz & Co’s art departments have had a riveting start to 2023 with some intriguing results on our February and March Premium Auctions. Both our Johannesburg and Cape Town branches exceeded a 75% sell-through rate with their opening auctions for this year. Both offered a range of artworks that catered to new and seasoned collectors alike.
Our Cape Town art department assembled an exquisite selection of artworks with a carefully curated emphasis on more contemporary South African art. While the lot inventories diverged from our usual selection, our buyers nevertheless responded positively demonstrating the market’s shifting interest. Stephan Welz & Co. prides itself on keeping in tune with the current market’s demand; our adaptability and an understanding of client demographics is key.
Our Johannesburg branch offered an amalgamation of contemporary and blue-chip artists on their March Premium auction. Interestingly enough, amongst the Alexis Preller, Jacob Pierneef and William Kentridge works, a simple oil by an unknown artist entitled, ‘Willow Tree by Pond’ captured the attention of multiple collectors. There was much speculation over the identity of this unknown artist and the art team at Stephan Welz & Co. thoroughly enjoyed the enthusiasm shown by our clientele. Many attempted to decipher the faint signature on the reverse to no avail.
The auction season has so far been a testimony to Stephan Welz & Co’s clients unwavering support and our art department’s skills and understanding of the current art market.
We would like to thank our buyers for their eager participation in our auctions and look forward to the rest of the year. For any post-sale offers or future consignments, please contact our Johannesburg office on 011 880 3125 or email info@swelco.co.za and our Cape Town office on 021 794 6461 or email ct@swelco.co.za
Highlights:
Lot 648
Alexis Preller (South African 1911 – 1975) VINCENT VAN GOGH
Est: R250 000 – R350 000
Sold for: R693 390
Lot 689
William Joseph Kentridge (South African 1955 – ) REEDS
Est: R800 000 – R1 200 000
Sold for: R956 400
Lot 708
Adriaan Hendrik Boshoff (South African 1935 – 2007) CHILDREN AT THE BEACH
Est: R200 000 – R300 000
Sold for: R310 830
Lot 714
Jacob Hendrik Pierneef (South African 1886 – 1957) LANDSCAPE
Est: R250 000 – R350 000
Sold for: R298 875
Lot 638
Adriaan Hendrik Boshoff (South African 1935 – 2007) GARDEN TEA
Est: R25 000 – R35 000
Sold for: R57 384
Lot 500
Artist Unknown (20th Century) WILLOW TREE NEAR POND
Est: R1 000 – R1 500
Sold for: R11 685