Valuable Madiba art for sale

The iconic photo of Mandela gazing out through the barred window of his Robben Island prison cell, signed by both Mandela and Schadeberg, is one of the significant works in a Mandela Collection, which will be a feature of the auction.

Valued at R70 000 to R90 000, the photo was taken during Mandela’s first revisit to Robben Island since his release.

According to Schadeberg, only 20 copies of this image, signed by both Mandela and himself, were made. German-born Schadeberg was one of the key Drum magazine photographers during the turbulent 1950s and early 1960s and is widely considered a great documentarian of South Africa, over the past 60 years.

“With his recent passing, Mandela is even more on the minds of collectors these days,” said Anton Welz of Stephan Welz & Company.

On the eve of the South African launch of his acclaimed movie Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (and just a week prior to Mandela’s death), film producer Anant Singh bought what is possibly the biggest lot of signed Nelson Mandela memorabilia ever to be auctioned.

The collection was purchased for R1 121 000 at a Stephan Welz & Company auction in Johannesburg.

Another auction highlight is the study of Nelson Mandela created by British Royal portrait painter Richard Stone, which served as the blueprint for his famous portrait of Mandela, now residing in New York.

The celebrated painter of queens, princes, Pavarotti and former Bishop Desmond Tutu amongst others, painted Mandela in 2008.

Stone has donated his Mandela study to be auctioned for charity by Stephan Welz & Company at its Fine Art and Design Auction.

The proceeds will go to the Community and Individual Deve-lopment Association (CIDA).