Not a kitsch price!

A Vladimir Tretchikoff painting sold for R3.74 million at a recent Cape Town auction. In comparison, Irma Stern's Indian Woman sold at the same auction for R7.2m. Tretchikoff's painting was Fruits of Bali, a portrait of a Balinese woman holding a bowl of fruit. The late Russian-born immigrant lived in South Africa for 60 years and was a self-taught artist. He was known as the King of Kitsch, and was responsible for one of the best-selling art prints of all time - The Chinese Girl. He died in Cape Town in 2006 at the age of 94. He was also famous for works such as A Namaqualand Landscape in Spring, The Red Jacket and Zulu Girl. His works were not taken seriously nor was his art bought by South African museums or galleries, yet he won many awards overseas. Vladimir Griegorovich Tretchikoff came to South Africa after WWII. In 1961, more than 200 000 people saw an exhibition of his work that was on display at Harrods in London. His first solo exhibition was in 1948 in Cape Town. The Tretchikoff Renaisance was founded by his grand-daughter Natasha Mercorio-Tretchikoff.