Warhol and Stern Headline Strauss & Co’s Superb 70-Lot Auction Catalogue This June

Two titans of 20th-century art—Andy Warhol and Irma Stern—headline Strauss & Co’s Modern and Contemporary Art Evening Sale, set for Tuesday, 24 June 2025, at 7pm in Cape Town. The 70-lot live-virtual auction assembles a compelling mix of internationally recognised masters and leading South African artists, offering collectors the chance to acquire rare and significant pieces across various media.

Warhol’s Explosive Vesuvius Leads the Catalogue

The star lot gracing the catalogue’s cover is Andy Warhol’s Vesuvius (1985), a dramatic screenprint of the iconic volcano near Naples. Estimated at R1.2–1.5 million ($67,650–84,560), the work represents Warhol’s mature period, reflecting his fascination with beauty, mortality, and mass reproduction.

“This piece stands as a powerful meditation on modern anxieties,”.

says Elmarie van Straaten, Head of Sale at Strauss & Co

Irma Stern’s Masterful Still Life Returns to Auction

A standout from the South African section is Irma Stern’s Still Life with Lemons (1954), created during a time of significant artistic output. Estimated at R2–3 million ($112,750–169,125), the work captures Stern’s refined balance between nature and human influence, a hallmark of her still-life compositions.

Modernist Icons and Contemporary Movers

The catalogue also features high-value works by South African modernists such as:

• Alexis Preller’s Christ Head (R2–4 million / $112,750–225,445)
• Vladimir Tretchikoff’s two botanical still lifes, following the record-setting R31 million sale of Lady from the Orient in May 2025
• Works by Gregoire Boonzaier, Maggie Laubser, Frans Oerder, and Clement Sénèque

Contemporary masters such as William Kentridge and David Goldblatt also make their mark:

• Kentridge’s 1988 print Art in a State of Siege and 2010 bronze Untitled (Man with Globe)
• Goldblatt’s poignant 1985 photograph of Lawrence Matjee, estimated at R50,000–70,000 ($2,819–3,945)

Diverse Media from Sculpture to Tapestry

South African sculptural excellence is highlighted through works by Deborah Bell, Willie Bester, Edoardo Villa, and Angus Taylor, while bold contemporary pieces from Athi-Patra Ruga, Zander Blom, Mongezi Ncaphayi, and Patrick Bongoy reveal the global reach of South Africa’s new wave.

Ruga, whose work will soon be featured in Stern’s Berlin museum retrospective, is represented by a 2009 tapestry and a 2012 photograph. The auction also sees the debut of painter Philip Barlow.

Exhibition & Auction Details

A public exhibition runs at Brickfield Canvas, 35 Brickfield Road, Woodstock, until the day of the sale. A pre-auction sundowner will be held on Thursday, 19 June, from 6–7pm.

🗓️ Modern and Contemporary Art: Evening Sale
📍 Live Virtual | Tuesday, 24 June 2025 at 7pm
🔗 View Full Catalogue Here

Additional sales in June 2025 include:

• The Engen Collection (Live, 2pm)
• South African Design: Past and Present (Online, 13–25 June)
• What the Fook? The Life and Work of Walter Battiss (Online, 12–30 June)
• The Mary Eleanor Hibbert Collection (Online, 13 June – 9 July)

For more information, visit www.straussart.co.za.

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