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Over the past year, fine art auction house Strauss & Co's live virtual art auctions have become one of the biggest online art events on the local art calendar with an incredible variety of artworks by famous and lesser-known artists on sale, complemented by a lively programme of insightful online art talks that can be streamed online via the Strauss & Co youtube channel.
The latest Strauss & Co virtual live auction takes place on Sun Jul 11 and Mon Jul 12 and is devoted to modern, post-war and contemporary art, decorative arts and jewellery and also includes standalone sale of rare sweet and fortified wines and whisky.
The full auction catalogue can be viewed online at the Strauss & Co website straussart.co.za, where you can also watch the live auction happening online and place your bids.
Auction highlights
The auction opens on Sun Jul 11 at 10:00 with a session devoted to whiskies and sweet and fortified wines (buyers in South Africa will be able to receive these items when the latest alcohol ban is lifted). The sale includes 18 vintages of Vin de Constance as well as sweet wines from other famous South African winemakers such as Boplaas, De Trafford, KWV, Monis, Mullineux, Nederberg and Overgaauw, plus some incredible malt whiskies (the 30-year-old Port Ellen single malt whisky from Douglas Laing’s Old & Rare Platinum Selection is expected to draw fierce attention).
The fine art sale then opens on Sun Jul 11 at 14:00 with two sessions and continues on Mon Jul 12 from 10:00 with a special session devoted to collectable art books, decorative arts and jewellery in addition to more than 400 artworks ranging from works on paper and prints to large scale oil paintings.
The art selection for the July live broadcast auction includes auction mainstays such as Hugo Naudé, J.H. Pierneef, Walter Battiss and Anton van Wouw, works by contemporary photographers the likes of Pieter Hugo and Mikhael Subotzky and contemporary names such as William Kentridge, Robert Hodgins and Diane Victor. Always an auction favourite there are no fewer than six works by the Joburg-based painter Nelson Makamo included in the sale as well as an eye-catching mixed-media painting by artist Willie Bester and some distinctive and colourful pieces by Norman Catherine.
How a Strauss & Co Live Virtual Auction works
The auction is hosted 'live' (virtually) in Cape Town and Joburg with Strauss & Co's auctioneers on the podium, streamed live via Strauss & Co’s website in real-time.
To join in the bidding online, first create an account by registering on the Strauss & Co website straussart.co.za. Sign in and select 'enter auction' which will open the bidding console on your computer with a live feed of the auctioneer. Once you submit a bid, your number will appear on the screen followed by any competing bidding numbers until the auctioneer closes the lot.
In addition to bidding live online, you can also submit phone bids with Strauss & Co's team manning the phones in the room, or submit absentee bids beforehand, detailing the ceiling amount that you would like to bid for a work (you will 'win' your bid if no other bidders exceed your pre-set limit).
Ahead of the auction you can browse the full catalogue online at straussart.co.za. Alternatively, order a copy of their print catalogue. A beautifully presented glossy book packed with insightful background information from Strauss & Co's art experts, they are a wonderful companion to the auction experience, even if you plan only to vicariously watch the bidding and get a taste for how the auction scene works.
