Irma Stern (South Africa, 1894-1966)

 

Street Scene, Madeira (1931)

gouache on paper 48 x 37.5 cm

Magnolias (1946)

oil on linen 85 x 85 cm

Irma Stern (1894-1966) was a South African painter and one of the leading figures of the Cape Town art scene in the 20th century. She was born in Switzerland and moved to South Africa with her family when she was six years old. Stern was known for her vibrant, colorful paintings, which often depicted African subjects and landscapes. She traveled extensively throughout Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, and her work was influenced by the various cultures and traditions she encountered on her journeys. Stern was also a collector of African art, and her home in Cape Town was filled with a wide range of objects and artifacts from around the continent. She had numerous solo exhibitions during her career and her work has been exhibited in galleries and museums around the world.