25th Jun, 2025 19:00
Modern & Contemporary Art
27
William Kentridge (South Africa 1955-)
Alzato Lucignano
pen, ink and watercolour
Artwork date: 1988
Signature details: signed, dated and inscribed with the title and ‘with love from William’ in ink along the bottom
Exchange Rates*: USD 3800.31 – 5429.01
EURO 3453.56 – 4933.65
GBP 2906.37 – 4151.96
R70,000 - R100,000
Buyers Premium
pen, ink and watercolour
Artwork date: 1988
Signature details: signed, dated and inscribed with the title and ‘with love from William’ in ink along the bottom
Exchange Rates*: USD 3800.31 – 5429.01
EURO 3453.56 – 4933.65
GBP 2906.37 – 4151.96
(1)
23 x 23 cm; framed size: 40.5 x 40.5 x 2.5 cm
Provenance:
Private collection, Johannesburg.
Gifted by the artist to the current owner.
ABOUT THE ARTWORK
Lucignano captures a visual memento of a landscape view during the artist’s summer holiday in the quaint commune in Campania, Italy, with a few close friends from Johannesburg. Looking at this serene scene, it is difficult to pinpoint a time of day. One can imagine it in the morning light, stark and fresh, perhaps with the smell of Italian coffee and murmurs of friends as they awaken. Or perhaps the aroma of dinner being made, the sounds of laughter intermingling with the clinking of wine glasses. Another option would be that the artist was completely by himself in this moment. Although Kentridge’s thought process in this image is not clear, the artist did reflect on the landscape in that same year, writing that
[t]here are no points, geographical or moral, I am trying to illustrate. The drawings are empirical, naturalistic. But they are approached with some sense that the landscape, the veld itself holds within it things other than pure nature.[1]
Looking at the expert portrayals of landscapes and trees in inky lines that have been so typical of Kentridge’s oeuvre, one can only imagine what the artist might have been trying to convey in this textural memory, at the dawn of an immensely prestigious artistic practice.
[1] Kentridge, W. (1988). Landscape in a State of Siege. Stet magazine, Johannesburg, November 1988, volume 5, number 3, pp. 15-18. [Online]. Available: https://www.kentridge.studio/landscape-in-a-state-of-siege/
COLLECTIONS:
The artist is represented in numerous local and international collections, notably, the Museum of Modern Art, New York; Tate Modern, London; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, California; George Eastman Museum, New York; Honolulu Museum of Art, Honolulu; Kalamazoo Institute of Arts (KIA), Michigan; The Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA), Chicago; Iziko South African National Gallery, Cape Town; University of Cape Town and the Zietz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa; Cape Town.
The overall condition is good.
Creasing along the mid bottom area.
Please note, we are not qualified conservators and these reports give our opinion as to the general condition of the works. We advise that bidders view the lots in person to satisfy themselves with the condition of prospective purchases.
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Auction: Modern & Contemporary Art, 25th Jun, 2025
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