Strauss & co - 2017 Review

Hodgins, who held his first solo exhibition in 1956, is often thought of as a contemporary artist because of his late-blooming career and long life – he died aged 89 in 2010. But he is better understood as a modern. The bull market for Hodgins continues: the London-born painter ranked sixth – above Battiss, Sekoto and Van Wouw – with combined sales of R6 507 611 from 48 lots. His best-selling work was AnOld Couple (2005). Egged on by a group of excited friends, a buyer in the auction room competed for – and eventually won – this work, which sold for R1 000 384. Other post-war South Africans who performed well at auction included Cecil Skotnes (R4.7 million from 55 lots), Peter Clarke (R4 682 204 from 41 lots), Erik Laubscher (R4 655 196 from only 7 lots) and Sydney Kumalo (R3 572 920 from 8 lots). Strauss & Co was excited to offer a very rare bronze from Kumalo’s important “Madala” series, Madala VI , which sold for R1 307 320. It was the first time this important work traded hands since its acquisition from art dealer Egon Guenther in 1967. Sydney Kumalo Madala VI Sold R1 307 320, 13 November 2017 43