Culture Craze
Irma Stern’s Cape Portrait Fetches R21.7 Million in Record-Breaking Sale
A Cape Masterpiece Finds a New Home
In a remarkable celebration of South African creativity and cultural pride, a rare Irma Stern portrait has fetched R21.7 million at auction, reaffirming her status as one of the continent’s most treasured artists.
The painting, a tender and evocative portrait of a Cape Muslim woman, went under the hammer at Strauss & Co’s International Sale on 28 October 2025. After over fifty years in private hands, the artwork found its new owner through intense global bidding that leapt in million-rand increments before the gavel fell.
It marks the highest price ever paid for a Stern portrait of a female sitter in Africa, a record that underscores the growing global recognition of her work and the deep emotional connection her art continues to hold for South Africans.
A Historic Moment for African Art
Stern’s achievement is more than just a financial milestone. It’s a statement about the enduring power of African stories on the world stage. The R21.7 million figure puts this piece just shy of the artist’s all-time record: the R22.3 million fetched in 2023 for her 1939 masterpiece, Children Reading the Koran.
For decades, Stern’s art has captured the soul of a changing South Africa. Her portraits of local people, particularly women from Cape and East African communities, are celebrated for their warmth, dignity, and emotional depth.
Strauss & Co confirmed that bidders from multiple continents registered interest in the sale, proving that Stern’s appeal now stretches far beyond her Cape Town roots.
The Woman Behind the Brush
Born in 1894 in Schweizer-Reneke to German-Jewish parents, Irma Stern was a pioneer who defied expectations from the very start. After studying in Germany under the Expressionist movement, she returned to South Africa in 1920, only to face harsh criticism from conservative art circles that dismissed her bold colours and modernist style.
She persisted and ultimately reshaped South African art. Her travels through the Congo, Zanzibar, and across Europe expanded her worldview and subject matter, yet her heart always remained in the Cape.
Today, her legacy lives on through the Irma Stern Museum in Rosebank, Cape Town, once her home and studio. The museum stands as a living reminder of how far South African art has come and how Stern’s fearless creativity helped pave the way.
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A Record Rooted in Heritage
The recent sale isn’t just a win for collectors. It’s a cultural moment that reaffirms the international relevance of South African artists. Each time one of Stern’s works breaks a record, it deepens appreciation for the region’s artistic heritage and highlights the voices that once went overlooked.
Her portraits of Cape women, in particular, are now recognised as historical testaments to the country’s diverse identity and layered social history.
As the portrait takes its place in a new collection, it carries with it more than just artistic value; it embodies pride, persistence, and a timeless South African story told through brushstrokes of compassion.
Also read: Shrinkflation Hits South Africa: Why You’re Paying the Same for Less
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Source: IOL
Featured Image: Daily Maverick
