Sales point to a market in robust health, with more new faces and investors The headline-grabbing sales at the recent end-of-year art auctions at Strauss & Co and newcomer Aspire Art Auctions were certainly the Alexis Prellers. Strauss & Co sold two Preller works for more than R6.5m each at its November 7 auction in Johannesburg. At the inaugural Aspire auction in Johannesburg on October 31, a Preller painting, Profile Figures (Mirrored Image), fetched just over R7m. In their wake, several more Prellers, Irma Sterns, Pierneefs, Battisses, Kentridges and Hodginses sold for between R1m and R2m.There can be little doubt, based on results like this, that the top end of the SA art market is in good shape. As the late Stephan Welz, MD at Strauss & Co and long the dominant figure in the world of fine-art auctions, often said: "There is an undeniable appetite for high-quality art that represents the best examples of an artist’s work."Strauss & Co joint director Bina Genovese said: "In our 2...
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