Strauss & Co‘s June 1 auction of Important South African and International Art in Johannesburg features a unique and unprecedented selection of paintings by Robert Hodgins, one of the most compelling of South African artists. These works span the second half of the 20th century and into the 21st century and track Hodgins’ rise from obscurity to stardom and his development from young, inquiring artist to mature painter. Though Hodgins only started his full-time painting career in earnest at the age of 63 when he retired from his lectureship at Wits, he was a prolific artist and produced paintings with varying degrees of regularity and intensity throughout his life. Strauss & Co holds the top 12 consecutive records for Hodgins, most recently R2,6 million which was achieved for the painting J’accuse. The earliest example included in the June auction, titled
