Warhol, Stern Are Headliners

Strauss & Co Auction: 70-Lot Sale Brings Together Established and Emerging Voices → Cover lot is Vesuvius, which is estimated will sell for R1.2 to R1.5 million, depicting the volcano.

- Citizen reporter

Two giants of 20th-century art, Andy Warhol and Irma Stern, lead the catalogue for Strauss & Co's upcoming live-virtual auction of modern and contemporary art, to be held in Cape Town next Tuesday.

The 70-lot sale brings together a compelling selection of established names and emerging voices, including high-value works by William Kentridge, Erik Laubscher and Alexis Preller, alongside two floral still life objects by in-demand painter Vladimir Tretchikoff.

"The cover lot for our winter sale is Andy Warhol's Vesuvius (estimated between R1.2 million and R1.5 million), a striking screenprint depicting the famed Italian volcano near Naples," said Elmarie van Straaten at Strauss & Co.

"Created in 1985, this late work reflects Warhol's deepening engagement with themes of mortality and legacy.

"Combining beauty, violence and repetition, the piece stands as a powerful meditation on the anxieties of modern life.

"Although by no means a regular in our auctions, Strauss & Co have an excellent track record handling his work, with 87% of lots offered finding new homes."