Strauss & co - 10 November 2014, Johannesburg

95 of South African artists. He subsequently selected a group of artists whom he thought were sufficiently talented to achieve international acclaim and, in 1963, he assimilated this group under the banner ‘Amadlozi’, a name meaning ‘Spirit of our Forefathers’, given by one of the members, Cecil Skotnes. Other members included the sculptors Edoardo Villa and Sydney Kumalo, and painters Cecily Sash and Guiseppe Cattaneo. Although their styles all differed dramatically, they were unified in their pursuit for a pronounced, indigenous character to their art, something essentially true to Africa. Later additions to this group were other painters and sculptors, Georgina Ormiston, Hannes Harrs, Ezrom Legae and Peter Hayden. Shortly after the formation of the original group they exhibited in Johannesburg, after which Guenther organised a series of exhibitions in Italy (Rome, Florence, Milan and Venice) in order to promote these artists on an international platform. In the late fifties Harry Lits, a pharmacist by profession, purchased the property next to Guenther’s and the two became friends. Over the succeeding two decades and with the assistance and guidance of Guenther, Lits started assimilating his own collection of South African art. Guenther even assisted in the design of Lits’ house in order to best display his art works. The collection that follows is a credit to Harry Lits’ vision and an insight into the quality and connoisseurship he developed in his love for premium South African art.