South African art made headlines this week as a portrait by renowned painter Irma Stern sold for a record-breaking $1.25 million at Strauss & Co’s International Sale in Cape Town. The piece, a vibrant portrait of a Cape Muslim woman, was held in a private collection for over 50 years. It drew fierce competition, with bids climbing in $57,000 increments before closing via telephone. The sale marks the highest price ever paid for a Stern portrait featuring a female sitter in Africa. It follows her 2023 success, when Children Reading the Koran fetched $1.28 million. The milestone cements Stern’s global reputation and reaffirms her lasting impact as a pioneering South African artist whose legacy continues to inspire collectors worldwide.
IOL
