Strauss & co - 2017 Review

Adolph Jentsch Near the Swakop River, Farm Schenkswerder, Okahandja District Sold R1 591 520, 13 November 2017 Anton van Wouw, Pierneef’s godfather, also performed well in 2017, bringing in a combined total of R4.9 million from nine lots sold. The sculptor achieved R852 600 for his bronze, The Hammer Worker (1911). Hugo Naudé and Adolph Jentsch also demonstrated their enduring appeal, respectively generating total sales of R4.7 million (22 lots) and R3.7 million (12 lots). Naudé’s beguiling impressionist masterpiece, The Mountain Behind Groote Schuur Estate (undated), sold for R1 023 120. Near the Swakop River, Farm Schenkswerder, Okahandja District (1940), the top Jentsch lot, was still housed in its original frame and sold for an impressive R1 591 520, above its high estimate. There was robust bidding for Jean Welz’s serene study, Still Life with a Bowl of Figs (1954), which sold for R886 704. The combined sales of Strauss & Co’s five best performing masters – Laubser, Pierneef, Sekoto, Stern and Van Wouw – netted the company R169 910 000 from 187 lots. The continued strong showing of these artists underscores their evergreen status at auction. Anton vanWouw The Hammer Worker Sold R852 600, 6 March 2017 30