Leisure …
THE LASTING LEGACY OF
IRMA STERN
I
rma Stern is an important figure in the history of South African art. An undeniable innovator, her portrait
and still life paintings have been especially admired by generations of
Right: Still Life of Dahlias in a Vase with a Basket of Apples, 1945, Swazi Woman, 1927 Below: The Grand Canal – Venice, 1948
collectors. Nearly a half-century after her passing, Stern’s legacy endures and she continues to outperform all other South African artists – she is art auctioneer Strauss & Co’s topselling artist. And who better to take us through the enduring legacy of Irma Stern and her work than Bina Genovese, Joint Managing Director of Strauss & Co.
Q: WHAT DO YOU THINK IT IS ABOUT IRMA STERN AND HER WORK THAT KEEPS LOVERS OF FINE ART AND COLLECTORS WORLDWIDE ENTHRALLED, CONTRIBUTING TO HER ENDURING LEGACY? Born in South Africa in 1894 to German-Jewish immigrants, Irma Stern is distinguished for her unique visual language inspired by the German Expressionists, but with a very strong African flavour. Her vision of the world through her many travels is generously and exuberantly portrayed in terms of vivid colour and energetic paint application. The works she produced document her travels and encounters with people in the places she visited. Stern’s vibrant, lustrous floral studies and deeply 28
SILVER DIGEST // SUMMER 2020/2021
