The World Wildlife Fund Art Auction, presented by Strauss & Co and Everard Read, raised close on R5 million this week at the CIRCA gallery, in Johannesburg.
This glamorous occasion, attended by Johannesburg’s Who’s Who, took place at Everard Read’s state of the art CIRCA gallery. The hour-long auction, which attracted a capacity crowd, was characterised from the outset by animated bidding and enthusiastic applause as each lot fell under the hammer.
Of the 22 lots on sale, 17 exceeded their presale estimates, in some instances by up to three times. Examples were Karel Nel’s two panels,Taung/Piltdown, which sold for R150 000, Harold Voigt’s Winter Sunlight which sold for R200 000 and Lionel Smit’s Disclose which sold for R300 000. The highest price realised was for an exceptional painting of Okavango Channel Blooms by John Meyer which, after ferocious bidding, was knocked down for R750 000.
WWF’s CEO, Dr Morné du Plessis, commented after the auction: “I was really touched by the overwhelming support that people have expressed not only verbally but by actually participating in the auction. I feel very encouraged by people who in their daily lives have little to do with the environment and yet have been so generous in their support. It fills me with the hope that everyone eventually understands that the environment sustains us, not us it”.
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