Irma Stern’s ‘Malay Woman’ Fetches R5 Million At Online Auction

Irma Stern's Malay Woman sells for R5m at auction

Irma Stern’s 1936 portrait ‘Malay Woman’ has sold for R5 032 500 at a virtual auction hosted by Strauss & Co this week. Estimated at between R3 and R5 million, the painting was the standout lot at the Modern and Contemporary Art live auction. The work depicts an unknown Malay woman, possibly a paid model, with folded arms and a hijab. Rather than offering a portrait of psychological withdrawal, art experts describe the composition as a fine exam…

Irma Stern’s ‘Malay Woman’ Fetches R5 Million At Online Auction

[Image: Facebook] At a recent virtual auction hosted by Strauss & Co, R12.7 million was raised from 52 lots sold. The item that took the lion’s share was a painting by popular South African artist, Irma Stern, titled “Malay Woman”, which was painted in 1936. Estimated at between R3 and R5 million, it sold to a telephone bidder for R5,032,500. Art experts describe the painting as a work that combines the quiet intensity of a Picasso Blue Period c…