Paintings by leading local artists on offer
Gerard Sekoto’s Township Scene with Strolling Figures, an oil on canvas on board signed and dated 1974, was offered at an estimated price of R800,000 to R1.2m at Bernardi Auctioneer’s art and antiques sale in Pretoria last week.
The Sekoto, which was unsold, was one of a number of paintings by leading South African artists on offer.
These included Pieter Wenning’s Wonderboompad. The oil on canvas, inscribed with the title on a Pretoria Art Museum Vriende 1973 exhibition label on the reverse (31x39cm), was also unsold. The painting was bought from the artist by the present owner’s family. Also on offer were: Conrad Theys’s Die Houthakkers, Wintereike, Mamre, an oil on canvas, signed, dated 1988, inscribed with the title and dated in the artist’s hand on the reverse (R520,000);
Two sepia watercolours of Bastergemsbokke, signed by Zakkie Eloff (R3,250 for the pair);
Eleanor Francis EsmondeWhite’s pencil and charcoal, signed and dated 1993, inscribed with a dedication from the artist to her then dealer and friend Enzo Mastromatteo (unsold);
Maggie Laubser’s Seascape Near Camps Bay, a watercolour highlighted with gouache and executed in an autograph album belonging to Cecilia Baard, circa 1915-22 (R8,000);
Ignatius Marx’s Sunset Landscape, an oil on canvas, signed (R4,000);
Erich Mayer’s Kremetartboom, an oil on canvas, signed and dated 1947 (R58,000);
Carl Meyer’s Road Workers, an oil on canvas, signed and dated (R58,000);
Johannes Meintjes’s Old Farmer, an oil on cardboard, incised signature and dated 1946 on a remnant of paper label on the reverse. It was purchased from the artist by the former owner, Dr AP Burger of Pretoria,
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(R165,000); and
Christiaan Nice, Figures beside Workers’ Cottages oil on board, signed and dated 1975 (estimate R10,000-R15,000).
Among the antiques on offer were a Regency gentleman’s mahogany and veneer secretaire four-drawer bureau chest. A pull-out, fall-front secretaire drawer opens to reveal pigeonhole compartments.
Another pieces was a teakwood and pale mahogany colonial officer’s campaign dressing chest in three sections, the hinged and gabled top-rail fitted above a hinged superstructure backboard with central shaving swing mirror, flanked by four hinged shelves, between brass rod supports and inset lugs, on a lower conforming cabinet with storage compartment. According to the present owner, the chest was used by a German South West African campaign officer circa 1900.
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