Strauss & co - 11 November 2019, Johannesburg

91 SOUTH AFRICAN ARTISTS AND PARIS 73 Walter Battiss SOUTH AFRICAN 1906–1982 Notre Dame; From Pont d’Austerlitz, Paris, two each signed with the artist’s initials, dated in French (14 Juillet ‘49 and 6 Juillet ‘49) and inscribed with the title in pencil in the margin pencil on paper 34 by 25,5 cm; 25,5 by 34 cm (2) R25 000 – 35 000 74 Diane Victor SOUTH AFRICAN 1964– Burning Day signed, numbered 12/30 and inscribed with the title in pencil in the margin three-colour lithograph 36,5 by 43,5 cm R12 000 – 18 000 Walter Battiss’s first trip overseas in 1949 was a personal quest to meet his favourite artist, Pablo Picasso, in Paris, a dream that became reality when Picasso’s agent, Henry Kahnweiler introduced him to the famous Spanish artist. While waiting for Kahnweiler to arrange the meeting, Battiss roamed the streets of Paris, making sketches of the well-known landmarks of the city. Battiss gave Picasso a copy of his book, The Artists of the Rocks (1948) , and Picasso reciprocated with a lithograph of a bull. Picasso evidently asked him: ‘Tell me now, Battiss, am I as good as your Bushman artists?’ 1 1. Murray Schoonraad (1976) Walter Battiss , Cape Town: Struik, page 16. 73 74 On the 15 April this year, a fire broke out under the roof of the centuries-old French Gothic cathedral, Notre-Dame de Paris (Our Lady of Paris). The vaulted stone ceiling largely protected the interior of the building, but the cathedral’s spire collapsed during the blaze.