Homage to Die Kunskamer, gallery that changed course of SA art
Strauss & Co is pleased to announce its participation in the 2022 instalment of August Art Month.
This is an annual celebration of arts and culture hosted by collectors Frank and Lizelle Kilbourn, in the historic Cape Town manor house of Welgemeend.
August Art Month always presents a themed exhibition featuring rare and important artworks from private collections.
This year's exhibition is titled Homage: Erken/Verken (“Acknowledge/Explore” (5-31 August) and celebrates the achievements of art market pioneers Louis and Charlotte Schachat, founders in 1971 of Die Kunskamer.
Charlotte Schachat has agreed to lend key artworks as well as provide valuable information and archival material about Die Kunskamer and the artists it represented over half a century.
Works by leading artists such as Kenneth Bakker, J H Pierneef, Alexis Preller,
Deborah Poynton and Irma Stern will be on display.
“Louis Schachat had a big influence on me and opened my eyes to many artists,” says Strauss & Co chairperson Frank Kilbourn, longstanding client of Die Kunskamer.
“I have many works that Oom Louis handled, including Irma Stern's Two Arabs.
“He taught me the importance of buying what you love, not what you think is a good investment. He also introduced me to exciting contemporary artists.”
The exhibition commemorates the role a gallery plays in influencing collecting habits. It also acknowledges the immense support Die Kunskamer provided the local art market, not only by promoting established artists but in taking brave positions on little known artists.”
Louis Schachat was born into a farming family in Robertson, Western Cape, in 1926. His father was a Lithuanian Jew and his mother English. He attended an Afrikaans school and grew up speaking Afrikaans and Yiddish.
He studied law at the University of Cape Town and practiced as a lawyer for several years beforeopening Die Kunskamer with his wife, Charlotte. By this time the Schachats were already seasoned collectors.
Through Die Kunskamer, the Schachats established a reputation as pacesetting dealers with a committed focus on South African art. Their asking price of R5 000 for a Stern caused a stir early on. The Schachats established further benchmarks.
They were the first buyers to pay more than R1 million for a work by Irma Stern, and in 2010 paid well over R10 million for
He supported artists like David Brown
a Stern still life. When Louis Schachat died in 2013, at age 87, The Sunday Times ran a fulsome obituary, and said: “More than anyone, he was responsible for the rise in the monetary value, recognition and status of South African art.”
The story of Die Kunskamer is about focussed commitment, but it is also about broad-minded tastes and the pleasure offered by new art.
“It wasn't just about the big names for Oom Louis,” says Frank Kilbourn. “He supported artists like David Brown, Norman Catherine, William Kentridge, Malcolm Payne, Michael Pettit, Stanley Pinker and many others.
“This represented the curious and exploratory side of Die Kunskamer.
“I always experienced a real sense of adventure when I visited Die Kunskamer. It was like a journey of discovery. I got the most joy out of the unusual works on show. Oom Louis didn't give up on the artists he loved.” –