25th Jun, 2025 19:00
Modern & Contemporary Art
38
William Kentridge (South Africa 1955-)
Iris
pastel, charcoal, ink and aquatint on paper
Artwork date: 1997
Signature details: signed and dated bottom right
Exchange Rates*: USD 244 305.,66 – 325 740,88
EURO 222 014,33 – 296 019,11
GBP 186 838,01 – 249 117,35
R4,500,000 - R6,000,000
Buyers Premium
pastel, charcoal, ink and aquatint on paper
Artwork date: 1997
Signature details: signed and dated bottom right
Exchange Rates*: USD 244 305.,66 – 325 740,88
EURO 222 014,33 – 296 019,11
GBP 186 838,01 – 249 117,35
110 x 97 cm; framed size: 171 x 131 x 6.5 cm
Provenance:
Private collection, Johannesburg.
COLLECTOR'S NOTE
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William Kentridge is among the top 3 best-selling living contemporary South African artists at auction.
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William Kentridge’s Large Typewriters (2003) sold for just over R16 000 000 in 2021, marking the highest selling price for a work on paper by the artist at auction.
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Much like the typewriter, the Iris is a recurring motif in William Kentridge’s works and has become one of the artist’s most well-known subjects alongside the coffee pot, the dove, the cat and the megaphone.
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While large-scale prints of the Iris motif come to the market regularly, cementing this symbol within the artist’s oeuvre, unique Iris works are extremely rare. This hand-coloured print marks just the fourth time a unique Iris work has been offered at auction.
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This 1997 work was created in the same year as some of Kentridge’s most coveted and highly acclaimed works such as Woman’s Head in Blue; Ubu and the Truth Commission; and Red Sleeper.
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The artist’s 2022-2023 retrospective William Kentridge at the Royal Academy of Arts, London was hailed by many critics as a masterclass in multidisciplinary storytelling.
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Kentridge’s work has been presented in some of the most prestigious museums in the world, including the Luma Foundation, France (2024); Arsenale Institute for Politics of Representation, Venice (2024); Taipei Fine Arts Museum (2024); Reina Sofia Museum, Madrid (2015); Museum of Modern Art, New York (1999, 2005, 2010); Albertina Museum, Vienna (2010); Musée du Louvre, Paris (2010); National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (2015).
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The artist has participated in multiple notable biennales, including Documenta in Kassel (2012, 2002, 1997) and the Venice Biennale (2015, 2013, 2005, 1999, 1993).
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He is the recipient of honorary doctorates from several universities including Yale and the University of London.
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 excellent.
Minor cockling consistent with medium.
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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