Among the artists most highly-regarded by international critics, Irma Stern was born in South Africa to German parents and studied in Weimar and Berlin in Germany, absorbing the influences of German expressionism. Upon returning to her homeland, she did not immediately achieve the desired success, but refused to give up and constantly sought new visual experiences through her travels in Zanzibar, Congo and Senegal, and in Europe. In 1927 she received the Prix d’Honneur in Bordeaux, and her long ascent to international success began. Her works have been sold at auction for record sums and her home in Rosebank is now the Irma Stern Museum.
