By Michael Coulson :
While the success of an art auction is generally determined by the fortunes of the top lots, the failure of two of the four seven-digit Irma Sterns to sell didn't detract from the overall success of Strauss & Co's Cape auction this week, thanks to good -- even outstanding -- results elsewhere. Of a total gross of R37m-plus, by my count 223 lots of SA art contributed about R27.1m, slightly above the low estimate of R26.75m, of which the five Sterns that did sell constituted R11.25m, or about 41.5%. Of course, reported prices are hammer-plus: hammer prices alone didn't reach the low estimate.

As the two Sterns that didn't sell carried estimates of R3m-R5m and R1.5m-R2m, this confirms that demand was generally good. This is underlined by a sell-through rate of 79.4%, with 177 lots sold.

The two Sterns were in fact the only unsold items among the top 13 estimates (those starting at R400 000 and upwards. Top price on the night was a couple of thousand under R7.8m for a Stern still life (est R5m-R7m), followed by a few thousand over R2m for one of her Madeira scenes (est R2m-R3m). Third highest was a remarkable R891 000 for a William Kentridge Head graphic (est R400 000-R600 000). Also above estimate was R780 000 for Walter Battiss's oil, Five People in a Cave (est R500 000-R700 000). Two Dylan Lewis bronze Cheetahs fetched R724 000 (est R500 000-R600 000) and R613 000 (est R600 000-R800 000). A Stanley Pinker landscape went for R668 000 (est R400 000-R500 000).

A Stern gouache landscape was R646 000, an Erik Laubscher landscape was R613 000 (both est R400 000-R600 000) and two Maggie Laubser landscapes R501 000 (est R500 000-R700 000) and R446 000 (est R400 000-R600 000).

New artists' auction records were set for Johannes Meintjes' Swazi Landscape (R666 000, est R300 000-R400 000), Cecily Sash's Boy with a Violin (R189 000, est R30 000-R40 000) and Gerard Bhengu's Figures in a Kraal (R155 000, est R20 000-R30 000).

Among works with lower estimates, the most remarkable price in relative terms was R267 000 for a Christo Coetzee self-portrait estimated at only R60 000-R80 000, followed by R635 000 for a Kentridge drawing (est R280 000-R320 000) and R334 000 for a Lewis figure (est R150 000-R170 000). Another Lewis bronze figure, at R535 000, was at the top of the estimate range of R300 000-R500 000. Also notable were R624 000 for another Stern Zanzibari gouache (est R300 000-R400 000) and R423 000 for a Maurice van Essche oil of Hout Bay (est R250 000-R350 000).

Of the most represented artists, Battiss (10), Gregoire Boonzaaier (eight), Marie Vermeulen-Breedt (seven) and Lewis (five) sold 100%; Coetzee sold eight of 10, Kentridge six of eight, Meintjes six of seven, Stern five of seven, Hylton Nel four of six, and Cecil Skotnes, Hugo Naude and Andrew Verster all four of five. For once, Pierneeef was scarcely present, with just two minor linocuts.

Attention will now switch to London, where Bonhams' major two-part sale later this month will go far to putting the final seal on the market year, though both local houses also have closing sales in Joburg.