This November leading South African auction house Strauss & Co presents one of its biggest live art auctions ever with a stunning collection of important South African and international works going under the hammer.

The preview days and walkabouts offered before the live auction are an unmissable opportunity to view an extraordinary collection of fine art that will soon disappear into private collections. Strauss & Co's auction preview exhibitions bring together an incredible array of contemporary and historic artworks by the broadest range of famous and lesser-known South African artists plus a programme of associated walkabouts and lectures by Strauss & Co's art historians and curators means you can brush up on your art history while admiring the artworks.

For the art collector Strauss & Co's November 12 live auction is an exciting opportunity to buy rare masterpieces by some of the country's foremost artists as well as works by ground-breaking black African artists who were unappreciated during their time but who have gained new popularity and renown since the end of apartheid. The Unsung History collection includes a number of works by artists featured in the seminal 1988 exhibition at Johannesburg Art Gallery The Neglected Tradition which represented the first time that a South African art museum had held an exhibition devoted solely to black African art.

Among the most valuable artworks going under the hammer at the November auction are rare paintings by JH Pierneef of scenes from the Seychelles and Dar es Salaam which carry reserve prices starting from R4 million, gorgeous still life and portrait paintings by Irma Stern, sculptures by artists like Sydney Khumalo, Jackson Hlungwani and Edoardo Villa, paintings by Gerard Sekoto including a unique mid-1940s painting Women and Baby in the Street, a beautiful collection of paintings by Peter Clarke, an African artist whose popularity in the art market has grown considerably in recent years, bronze sculptures by Anton van Wouw and a superb collection of paintings by Maggie Laubser, including her vibrant masterpiece Harvesters in Wheatfield which carries a reserve price of R2-3million.

The pre-auction exhibition is open 10:00-17:00 at the Wanderers Club in Illovo from November 9 to 11. The live auction takes place on Monday November 12.

Events taking place as part of the pre-auction exhibition include:
Sat Nov 10 from 14:00-15:00 Family Viewing with hands-on art activities for kids led by Strauss & Co art experts.
Sat Nov 10 at 11:00 Guided exhibition walkabout
Sun Nov 11 at 11:00 Guided exhibition walkabout

The full catalogue of 349 lots included in the November 12 sale can be viewed online at straussart.co.za.