Festival for Irma Stern at Bonhams in London

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

The press release for the sale of Bonhams in London on September 10 announced 38 oils on canvas of Irma Stern. It is therefore worth the effort to go and see some details.

Over its sales of South African art, Bonhams is proving to be the best specialist of Irma Stern, and is assisted for some lots in the catalogue by the Irma Stern Museum.

Let us go back to the context of the earlier sale. On November 25, I wrote in my blog:
"On January 30, Bonhams London organize a South African art sale dominated by two paintings of Irma Stern estimated 300 and 250 K £. The first, a tribal portrait, should be the highest price for the artist, over a less typed portrait."
As always, I announced the result of the sale:
"SOLD: paintings by Irma Stern: three ethnic portraits were sold £ 280, 240 and 230 K, a still life £ 320 K and a scene of grape pickers £ 180 K. These prices are before fees."

Between these two releases, the portrait of a Congolese woman, 60 x 50 cm, psychologically very hard as it is often the case with Stern, reached 570 K£ costs included, at Christie's on December 12.

Let us return to our September sales. The two groups most sought of the work of the artist compete once again for stardom.

As for still lifes, a composition with dahlias and gladioli, 85x85 cm, lot 365, is estimated £ 200 K. The subject is very colourful and occupies the whole surface of the canvas.

For what I called above tribal portraits, the choice is very wide. I recall that the top results in January did not follow the hierarchy of the estimates of the catalog, demonstrating the passion of buyers for this artist whose ten highest results date of less than one year.

The work that seems more interesting, lot 313 at £ 250 K, is the portrait of a Swazi girl in traditional clothes, 93 x 70 cm. Her anxious attitude leads to a strong presence. This work, undated, is close to another of 1929, catalogue says. Indeed, other portraits made from 1929 to 1933 found in the databases have the same nervous style.

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

Irma Stern met all expectations made on her. Her works performed remarkably grouped in both categories of subjects. Such result confirms a firm, solid and sustainable rating for this artist.

Four portraits were distributed, excluding costs, between 240 and 330 K £. The number 313, which was my preferred, remained at 260 K £.

Five still lifes were divided, excluding costs, between 240 and 300 K £, including lot 365 at 280 K £.

We cannot leave this sale without reporting the sensational result of the other lot that I mentioned in my preview of July 27. This painting by Jacob Hendrik Pierneef, 112x142 cm, showing a baobab tree was sold 720 K £ excluding fees.