STEPHAN WELZ & CO. 2019

Business Art News STEPHAN WELZ & CO. 2019 a year of developments www.swelco.co.za

2019 has been a year of new developments for Stephan Welz and Co. The beginning of the year saw the company come under new ownership and management, and the second half of the year was marked by the opening of a new bespoke office and showroom space at 14 Dreyer Street, Claremont, Cape Town.

During this, the fifty-first year of existence, Stephan Welz and Co. has been proud to be able to offer their collector base some wonderful treasures, including works by some of South Africa’s foremost artists and creators. Paintings continue to be the most sought-after aspect of the Fine Art department. Many of South Africa’s foremost artists have maintained their presence at the top of the auction market, including J.H. Pierneef, whose 1949 work Vasco Da Gama Seil Om Kaap Punt was sold for R 338 260, Alexis Preller’s charming Seychelles Girl selling for R 1 366 050, Irma Stern’s Scene of Zanzibar Beach With Dhow selling for R 986 850, Maggie Laubser’s Still Life With Poinsettias selling for R 390 300, and Gerard Sekoto’s Head of An African Woman selling for R 780 000. Alongside these, Stephan Welz and Co. was proud to be able to offer two exquisitely executed watercolours by Lady Anne Barnard, Mother and Child (R 208 160) and Black Madonna (R 338 260) which offer a wonderful insight into Cape life at the time.

William Kentridge, (South African 1955 - ), Thinking Aloud, Small Thoughts

Above: Esias Bosch (South African 1923-2010), A River Running Through Trees And Reeds Opposite Page: Maggie Laubser, (South African 1886 - 1973), Still Life With Poinsettias

Sydney Alex Kumalo (South African 1935 - 1988), Large Seated Woman

South African sculptures continue to be wellrepresented and Stephan Welz and Co. was pleased to be able to offer the extremely rare sculpture, De Vogelaar, Anton van Wouw’s earliest known sculpture in South Africa on the open market, which sold for R 905 580. Alongside this is Sydney Kumalo’s Large Seated Woman which sold for R 859 140.

There has been a strong showing in the prints and multiples department with collectors eager to pick up William Kentridge’s Thinking Aloud (Small Thoughts) (R 232 200) in which the artist explored ideas and imagery connected to his production of The Magic Flute, and Deborah Bell’s In the Shadow of the Lion (R 116 100), an etching and aquatint made unique by the artist’s lush hand-painting.

A series of large panels by South Africa’s preeminent ceramicist, Esias Bosch, have been a particular highlight through the year with Namaqualand achieving R 986 850, Flowers in a Vase against an Indigenous Landscape achieving R 754 650 and A River Running Through Trees and Reeds achieving R 545 670.

Stephan Welz and Co. is looking forward to a successful 2020 and is currently consigning for the first auctions in 2020 which will be held in February in Cape Town and March in Johannesburg. Should you be interested in having artwork evaluated with a view to selling on auction you can contact Stephan Welz and Co on info@swelco.co.za, 011 880 3125 or 021 794 6461, or via Whatsapp on 079 431 9415.