Strauss & co - 2017 Review

Stern’s high status among collectors was signalled early in 2017 when Young Arab sold for R13 641 600, inMarch, within its pre-sale estimates. Other standout portraits that came to market in 2017 included two portrayals of the artist’s friend and patron, Freda Feldman. A complement to a third portrait sold by Strauss & Co in 2016, Freda with Roses achieved R3 524 080 and Freda in Khaki Dress sold for R3 410 400. Stern’s portrait of a stylish young Capetonian, Malay Woman (1954), sold above its high estimate for R5 456 640. Equally proficient as a still-life painter, Stern’s Flowers and Fruit (1937), a vivid synthesis of expression and observation, sold for R5 684 000. There was a great deal of collector interest in Still Life with Poinsettias (1934). Part of a large consignment of historical works from the Barloworld Collection, this still life was exhibited at the 1936 Empire Exhibition in Johannesburg, an important turning point in Stern’s professional career. It sold for R6 707 120, above its high estimate. (Sales from the Barloworld Collection sale will contribute towards the regeneration of the group’s cultural programme; Strauss & Co was pleased to partner with the company and help it to realise its objectives.) Irma Stern Young Arab Sold R13 641 600, 6 March 2017 © Irma Stern Trust | DALRO 22