31st Oct, 2016 20:00
Historic, Modern & Contemporary Art
20
Irma Stern, South African 1894–1966
Congolese woman
gouache on paper
Artwork date: 1946
Signature details: signed and dated
Sold for R1,932,560
Estimated at R1,200,000 - R1,800,000
gouache on paper
Artwork date: 1946
Signature details: signed and dated
(1)
63.5 x 50.5 cm
Notes:
Irma Stern undertook ambitious journeys through the Congo in 1942 and in 1946, providing her with “enough material and stimulus for a flood of creative work that marked her maturity and the high point of her career” (Dubow 1974:18). Spending many months there gave her sufficient time to set up studio and get to know the locals as she describes in her book Congo:
A finely slit bamboo shutter rolls up and reveals the dazzlingly ornamented walls of my studio. The little verandah is filled with inquisitive people – women with soft brown bodies bringing me oranges and ‘coeur de boeuf’ – a green fruit covered with thorns (Stern 1943:5).
In Congolese Woman, Stern captures the encounter with such rapid and assured brushstrokes that we feel, in an almost tactile way, the very sensual delight she took in this beautiful woman arrayed in her exquisite attire, her head magnificently framed in a soft scarf and simple necklace that echoes the neckline of her boldly patterned dress.
Her costume reflects both social history and politics – her dress is made from pagne, a cut length of colourful wax print cotton fabric, originally copied from Indonesian designs and techniques and manufactured in Holland for trade back to Africa.
Large textile companies such as Vlisco established factories in the Congo to keep up with demand. Characterised by bright colours and batik-inspired designs, costly wax print became popular in the 20th century as the daily wear of married women of relative wealth and status. Women fashioned the fabrics into long skirts, typically worn with a corresponding headscarf and the pagne, or wrapper, could be either formal or informal, ranging from simply draped fabric to a fully tailored outfit.
The luminous beauty of this woman was captured during Irma’s happiest and most productive period when, free of the restrictive Cape colonial society, she could follow her heart to Central Africa. There, unaccompanied and focussed on her work, she embodied a degree of modernism and liberation far ahead of her time.
Congolese Woman is one of a significant body of works depicting Congolese figures and faces, of which many can be viewed in the permanent collections of museums such as Iziko South African National Gallery and the University of Cape Town’s Irma Stern Museum.
Emma Bedford
Sources
Dubow, N. (1974). Irma Stern. Cape Town: C Struik Publishers.
Stern, I. (1943) Congo. Pretoria: Van Schaik.
Grateful acknowledgement is made to Carol Kaufmann for information included in this essay.
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Auction: Historic, Modern & Contemporary Art, 31st Oct, 2016
The line-up for our inaugural sale included an extraordinary selection of art. Works ranged from JH Pierneef’s breathtaking Karoo near Hofmeyer, painted in 1930, to Dan Halter’s 2006, ultraviolet light, Pefection.
Sculptures varied from Edoardo Villa’s acknowledgment of French artist, Aristide Maillol to Wim Botha’s heads that draw on classical and contemporary sources and Ed Young’s cheeky nude self-portrait. Also included were impressive photographs by award-winners, David Goldblatt and Pieter Hugo.
The auction set an impressive standard, with an outstanding sell-through rate of over 75% across 121 lots. The top lot of the sale was Alexis Preller’s exceptional Profile Figures (Mirrored Image), selling for over R7-million. Record sales were achieved for Villa, Goldblatt, and Hugo, amongst others.
Viewing
Friday 28 October 2016 | 10 am – 5 pm
Saturday 28 October 2016 | 10 am – 5 pm
Sunday 28 October 2016 | 10 am – 4 pm
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