Bonhams specialists Peter Rees, director of 19th Century Paintings and Chris Dawson, director of Modern British and Irish Art, will offer free picture valuations at the Irma Stern Museum, Cape Town on 29 August

The two will be in Johannesburg between 27-28 August, and following the event at the Irma Stern Museum on the 29th in search of masterpieces. They will remain in Cape Town and be available for appointments on the 30th.

Chris and Peter visited South Africa on numerous occassions and found works have then sold for a good price in auction at Bonhams London, including: Macquette Jubilee II (1983) by Welsh sculptor Lynn Chadwick, which sold for ZAR 2,600,000 ($213,242) in 2010, Horse in the Rain V by English sculptor Dame Elisabeth Frink which sold for ZAR 2,750,000 ($224,430) in 2015, When the Boats Come In by Irish 19th century painter Walter Osborne, which sold for ZAR 2.013,340 ($164,538) in 2017 and Spritsail Barges under Sail by Edward Seago, which sold for ZAR 813,200 ($59,431) June 2014.

“Modern British art is in great demand at the moment – we’ve seen 80 per cent success rate at our London sales for the past three years, with a third of the works selling above their high estimates. Many South African collections are built round elite artists like Henry Moore, Lynn Chadwick and Dame Elisabeth Frink whose artworks are among the most sought after at our auctions. And, of course, there are always surprises. Last year we discovered a previously unrecorded oil painting by David Bomberg, which was incredibly exciting,” said Chris Dawson.

Peter Rees added: “2017 was our most successful year ever for 19th Century Art, and we achieved some exceptional prices. The market in London is truly international, with an increased emphasis on quality. I will be looking out for works by George Clausen, John Godward, Atkinson Grimshaw, Alfred Munnings, Edward Seago, William Russell Flint and Dorothea Sharp. These artists are in particular demand, but one of the great pleasures of valuation days is coming across the unexpected, and I will be keeping an eye out for that too.”