Offering a fusion of works by Old South African Masters through to Contemporary South African works, this sale promises to catch the eye of any enthusiast. With works by Irma Stern, Washer Woman (R350 000 – R400 000) and Zanzibar (R100 000 – R150 000), Ruth Everard Hayden, Still Life (R100 000 – R150 000), Maurice van Essche, Reclining Nude(R150 000 – R200 000), Keith Alexander, The Final Eduard Bohlen (R1 000 000 – R1 200 000) and J H Pierneef, A View of an Extensive Landscape (R800 000 – R1 000 000) going under the hammer, this auction is one not to be missed.
Added to this, works by notable artists such as Pranas Domsaitis, Peter Clarke, Robert Hodgins, Angus Taylor, Lippy Lipshitz, David Botha, Anton Smit, Nelson Makamo and Beezy Bailey will be in the mix.
Known by some as ‘the finest work’ painted by Keith Alexander, The Final Eduard Bohlen (Shipwreck), comes under the hammer this November. The work, which was consigned to auction by the artist’s family and measures 91 by 152cm, depicts the German built vessel which ran aground off the Skeleton Coast in 1909. Alexander’s undoubted fascination for the Eduard Bohlen wreck was his observation of the desert extending into the sea, leaving the remains of the Eduard Bohlen stranded in a dune. Nearly a kilometer from the coat it became an irresistible subject for Alexander and provided sufficient inspiration for him to bring into being the magnificent Eduard Bohlen Series of only 13 canvases. It was Alexander’s ability to paint so surely yet so unconsciously which brought a quality of compelling brilliance to the Bohlen series and which established him, unquestionably, as an artist who could not be ignored. The Final Eduard Bohlen (Shipwreck) is the last available work of the series to be offered at auction and for the first time. It is the largest work from the series and is said to have been the artist’s favourite.
Currently one of the most sort after artists on the local and international scene, Nelson Makamo is represented by two monumental works, Golden Boy and Mamma Africa ‘Miriam Makeba’,the later being the largest oil by the artist, to have come under the hammer. Releasing several albums and songs, Mariam Makeba’s career flourished in the United States and along with Harry Belafonte, received a Grammy Award for the album Evening with Belafonte/Makeba. She testified against the South African government at the United Nations and became involved in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. She married Stokely Carmichael, a leader of the Black Panther Party, in 1968. As a result, she lost support amongst white Americans and faced hostility from the US government, leading her and Carmichael to move to Guinea. This masterful circular work, portraying a South African Icon and measuring 180cm diameter, is estimated at R300 000 – R400 000.
Cape Town artist, print-maker and poet, Peter Clarke is represented by a striking acrylic, paper and leather collage on mazonite, Waar Is Julle Nou? This work depicts Mr Raffee’s General Store in the Simon’s Town area of Cape Town, where the artist grew up. A large and brightly coloured work resonates the artist’s ability to recreate the environment he found himself in, on a daily basis, through the medium of art. From the artist’s private collection, this work will be offered for the first time.
An impressive work by Jacob Hendrik Pierneef, A View of an Extensive Landscape, affirms why the artist is considered to be one of South African most important landscape artists. With a distinctive style, Pierneef’s work depicts the South African Highveld which provided the artist with inspiration thoughout his career.