SA artworks fetch record auction prices

The Dying Swan by “king of kitsch” Vladimir Tretchikoff has fetched more than R1 million at a major auction of South African artworks.

Auctioneers Strauss and Co on Tuesday confirmed that the painting went for R1 079 960 to an unnamed private collector.

The auction in Johannesburg on Monday night grossed R47m, with many of the pieces far exceeding their estimated prices.

Tretchikoff’s 1951 painting, which featured ballerina Alicia Markova, surpassed its predicted R800 000 price.

The auctioneer on the night, Stephan Welz, said: “It definitely met the anticipated amount, but personally, I had thought it would fetch a bit more given the strong Tretchikoff market in South Africa and the inclusion of an important ballerina.”

On the same night, a world record was set by Jürgen Schadeburg’s Nelson Mandela In His Law Office, which sold for R107 996. The photograph, taken in 1952, is believed to be the only available record of the office Mandela shared with fellow Struggle stalwart Oliver Tambo.

KZNSA gallery curator, Ben Brophy, was not fazed by news of the landmark sale, due to the historical relevance of Schadeburg’s work.

“It’s not surprising that Jürgen Schadeburg’s work did so well. At the time the picture was taken he was working for Drum magazine, which has a strong national history. He rose to fame and became a visual photography icon during the 1970s and 1980s era,” said Brophy.

Another notable sale was of Cecil Skotnes’s Last Supper, which sold for R1 818 880, also to an unnamed collector.

Skotnes’s work is well- known for its strong religious elements that resonate with the Catholic community. Proceeds from the sale of the piece will benefit a Catholic school.