J.H. Pierneef Masterpiece Leads Strauss & Co’s Landmark July Art Auctions in Johannesburg

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Rare 1952 bushveld landscape expected to fetch up to R7 million as Strauss & Co presents an exceptional week of South African art

Johannesburg’s winter art calendar reaches a major highlight this July as Strauss & Co unveils an outstanding programme of live and online auctions celebrating some of South Africa’s most influential artists.

Leading the prestigious Evening Sale: Modern and Contemporary Art on 21 July 2026 is J.H. Pierneef’s monumental Bushveld Landscape, Approaching Storm, Sabi Sands (1952). The rare late landscape carries an estimate of R5 million to R7 million, making it one of the most anticipated artworks to come to auction this year.

The sale brings together iconic names from South African art history alongside celebrated contemporary artists, offering collectors an exceptional opportunity to acquire museum-quality works.

A rare Pierneef landscape returns to the market

Painted during a visit to friends in the Sabi Sands Game Reserve in 1952, Bushveld Landscape, Approaching Storm, Sabi Sands has remained in a single-family collection for decades.

According to Strauss & Co, family history suggests Pierneef was inspired by an approaching thunderstorm across the bushveld and painted the scene as a farewell gift.

Dr Alastair Meredith, Director and Head of Sale at Strauss & Co, describes the work as one of the artist’s finest late paintings.

“Pierneef’s best paintings from the early 1950s are defined by their scale, simplified forms, decorative strength and restrained colour palette. Bushveld Landscape, Approaching Storm, Sabi Sands embodies all of these qualities.”

Strauss & Co has previously achieved auction results exceeding R10 million for comparable Pierneef bushveld landscapes from the same period.

Another notable Pierneef work in the sale is Bushveld Landscape with Autumn Leaves, estimated at R1 million to R1.5 million.

William Kentridge headlines contemporary highlights

The auction also showcases major works by internationally acclaimed artist William Kentridge.

Two large-scale works on paper are among the contemporary highlights:

The Old Gods Have Retired (2022), estimated at R1.2 million to R1.5 million
You Who Never Arrived (2021), estimated at R850,000 to R950,000

The inclusion of Kentridge creates a compelling dialogue between South Africa’s modern masters and today’s leading contemporary artists.

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A week celebrating South African creativity

Strauss & Co’s July auction programme extends beyond the Evening Sale with several dedicated collections celebrating different aspects of South African art.

The Willem Boshoff Collection

Opening the live auction programme is a 40-lot sale from the personal collection of renowned artist Willem Boshoff.

The collection includes works by leading artists such as:

Candice Breitz
Christo Coetzee
Jackson Hlungwani
John Muafangejo
Marianne Podlashuc
Simon Stone

Collectors will also find rare sculptures, mixed-media works and early drawings by Boshoff himself.

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Contemporary South African ceramics take centre stage

The Unearthed: Contemporary South African Ceramics auction continues Strauss & Co’s commitment to celebrating ceramic art.

The curated sale features influential studio potters and contemporary ceramic artists including:

Esias Bosch
Hyme Rabinowitz
Andrew Walford
Josephine Ghesa
Hylton Nel
Nico Masemola
Andile Dyalvane
Madoda Fani
Chuma Maweni
Mpho Mokgatlhe
Ruan Hoffmann
Clive Sithole

One of the standout works is Bosch’s monumental ceramic tile Koi, estimated between R800,000 and R1 million.

Icons of South African art under one roof

The Evening Sale presents 57 carefully selected works spanning more than a century of South African artistic achievement.

Collectors can expect works by:

Keith Alexander
Robert Hodgins
Erik Laubscher
Maggie Laubser
Esther Mahlangu
John Koenakeefe Mohl
Cinga Samson
Irma Stern
Pieter Wenning
Edoardo Villa
Diane Victor
Lulama Wolf

Highlights include Pieter Wenning’s Still Life with Vases and Plate, Maggie Laubser’s Portrait of a Woman in a Red Headscarf, and a collaborative painting by contemporary artist Cinga Samson and his brother Sikhona Thutha.

Gregoire Boonzaier receives a dedicated online sale

The auction week concludes with Cape Charm, an online-only auction devoted to celebrated Cape Impressionist Gregoire Boonzaier.

Drawn from a single-family collection, the sale includes 32 works, ranging from Cape landscapes and District Six scenes to botanical studies and self-portraits spanning more than six decades.

The collection offers both seasoned collectors and first-time buyers the opportunity to acquire works by one of South Africa’s most respected painters.

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Preview exhibition opens in Houghton

Visitors can view the auction highlights during a public exhibition at Strauss & Co’s Houghton showroom, opening on 6 July 2026.

Specialist walkabouts led by Dr Alastair Meredith and Senior Art Specialist Wilhelm van Rensburg will take place on 18 and 19 July, offering deeper insight into many of the featured works.

With museum-quality masterpieces, contemporary icons and important private collections all coming under the hammer, Strauss & Co’s July auctions promise to be one of Johannesburg’s most significant art events of the year.

View the online catalogue here.

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