Hulde aan Irma Stern—Homage to Irma Stern

Hulde aan Irma Stern—Homage to Irma Stern (1968 Bilingual Memorial Exhibition Catalogue)

The Bilingual 1968 Memorial Exhibition Catalogue Honouring South Africa's Foremost Expressionist Painter

Bibliographic Specifications

• Title: Hulde aan Irma Stern—Homage to Irma Stern
• Publisher: S.A. Nasionale Kunsmuseum / S.A. National Gallery, Kaapstad / Cape Town
• Publication Date: 1968
• Binding: Publisher's printed card wrappers in cream with a blue printed border, blue 68 logo and embossed IRMA STERN lettering to the front cover; blue crowned monogram to the back cover.
• Physical Format: Square format, approximately 25 cm. Exhibition catalogue.
• Language: English and Afrikaans

Official Condition Report

• The Book: Good (G)
• Exterior / Wraps: The cream card wrappers carry a blue printed border, a blue 68 logo and embossed IRMA STERN lettering to the front. A slightly glossy, creased strip runs along the top edge of the front cover. The back cover shows a few small brown spots and slight creasing near the spine edge. The corners appear reasonably sharp. Honest, light signs of age and handling overall.
• Interior: The blue title page with cream printing is clean. The copyright page carries one small brown mark near the bottom edge. No inscriptions, stamps or ex-library marks.
• The Dust Jacket: Not Applicable (As Issued)

Synopsis & Historical Value

Hulde aan Irma Stern / Homage to Irma Stern is the bilingual Afrikaans and English catalogue to the 1968 exhibition honouring the painter Irma Stern (1894-1966), shown as part of the Cape Arts Festival and presented with the South African National Gallery.

Auction houses and specialist art references cite this catalogue by number when documenting the exhibition history of individual Stern paintings, which makes it a useful reference for collectors and researchers of her work. The memorial show travelled to the Pretoria Art Museum and the Johannesburg Art Gallery as well as the National Gallery.

Stern was born in Schweizer-Reneke in the Transvaal and studied in Germany, where she was mentored by Max Pechstein. She returned to South Africa in 1920 and became one of the country's most celebrated painters. This catalogue is a tribute issued shortly after her death and belongs on the shelf of anyone collecting South African art literature.

Author Profile: Irma Stern

Irma Stern (1894-1966) was born in Schweizer-Reneke, Transvaal, to German-Jewish parents. She studied in Germany, where she was mentored by Max Pechstein, and returned to South Africa in 1920. Her first Cape Town exhibition followed in 1922.

Beyond her painting she wrote travel books on Zanzibar and the Congo. Her Cape Town home became the Irma Stern Museum in 1971, and her works now command record prices at South African auctions.

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