What’s your art worth? A specialist helps metro residents find out

The Ann Bryant Art Gallery was buzzing on Wednesday as residents gathered with some of their prized collectibles in the hope of finding out their worth. Fine art auction house Strauss & Co visited KuGompo City for the first time since 2019, inviting residents to bring in paintings and other antiques for a professional valuation. Senior art specialist Ian Hunter spent the day assessing these works, mainly 19th-century European art as well as some paintings from 20th-century South Africa.

“We never really know what we’ll see on valuation day,” Hunter said. “Today I’ve seen British and European artworks, some from the early 1800s. “And I’ve seen quite a few South African paintings, mostly 20th century.

“We’ve taken in some lovely works by Walter Battiss, as well as a wide cross-section of painters from all over the world.” Hunter, representing Strauss & Co on an evaluation trip from Mossel Bay to KuGompo and Gqeberha, said the purpose of the event was straightforward. “To assist people with artworks that they’ve either bought or inherited, to establish an idea of value at auction,” he said. We’ve taken in some lovely works by Walter Battiss, as well as a wide cross-section of painters from all over the world.

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Hunter said several factors influenced an artwork’s value. “Quality, rarity and the reputation that the artist has generated in their lifetime.

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