Exciting art sale for the connoisseur

● A museum-quality artwork by William Kentridge, a gripping 1950 self-portrait by Alexis Preller and an intimate post-impressionist painting by Edouard Vuillard are among the outstanding lots at Strauss & Co’s forthcoming live sale in Johannesburg, to be held at the Wanderers Club on June 4.

The sale’s top 10 lots include four works by Preller, revered by collectors as one of the most important post-war South African painters, as well as important pieces by Walter Battiss, JH Pierneef and Vladimir Tretchikoff.

The top 10 lots carry a combined high estimate of R33.6-million.

Kentridge’s large charcoal and pastel drawing “Deep Pool” (estimated at between R3-million and R4-million) is part of a suite of polished drawings made in 1995 and 1996 entitled “Colonial Landscapes”.

The series drew inspiration from 19th-century colonial drawings of Africa and marked a shift from Kentridge’s earlier anti-epic depictions of Johannesburg’s peripheral mining landscapes.

Great excitement surrounds Preller’s undated intaglio painting titled “Poseidon” (estimate between R3-million and R5-million), a unique depiction of the mythical Greek god of the sea in the artist’s enigmatic late-career style.

Strauss & Co is hosting a programme of social events in the leadup to the live sale at the Wanderers Club. Works on offer will be on preview from June 1 to 3 . There will be walkabouts and lectures on June 2 and 3.

For further details and exact times consult the Strauss & Co website: www.straussart.co.za.