The Important September Fine Art Auction on September 17th, beginning 10 AM PDT at Clars, brings together an exceptional selection of American, European, Latin American, modern, and contemporary art, encompassing paintings, works on paper, prints, photography, and sculpture.

Beginning in California, we have an oil on canvas by Granville Redmond (American, 1871–1935) dating to 1910. Depicting a shepherd guiding his flock through a hilly landscape, the canvas, titled Heading Home, bursts with shades of green lit by the sun and dappled with shadow. The idyllic scene is exemplary of Redmond’s work — depicting the California hills lush with wildflowers. However, the work at Clars this month is notable as one of Redmond’s larger canvases. The vast scene shows the artist’s mastery of texture and light and is not to be missed in this month’s auction. This piece is estimated at $50,000–$70,000.

Another important California scene featured this September is an oil on canvas board by E. Charlton Fortune (American, 1885–1969) titled Unloading the Catch, Monterey. Fortune was a pioneer among female artists, studying with notable painters such as William Merritt Chase and traveling to Europe while developing her unique style. Fortune’s time in Paris influenced her technique as she was exposed to the work of the French Impressionists and Post-Impressionists of the early 20th century.

Upon returning to her family home in Monterey, she used the loose brushwork and bright palettes of her peers in Europe to depict the landscapes and towns of coastal California. Unloading the Catch, Monterey, is a harbor scene in which small fishing boats gather by a dock, bustling with activity while gently floating on the calm, blue waters. Fortune’s harbor scenes are among the most prized in her oeuvre, and fetch some of the highest prices at auction for California Impressionist art. This piece is estimated at $40,000–$60,000.

The auction presents an especially compelling pair of works by renowned Dutch artist M.C. Escher, both with remarkable provenance. Ascending and Descending, 1960, a signed lithograph from an edition of 31/108, is estimated at $30,000–$50,000; while Möbius Strip II (Red Ants), 1963, a signed color woodcut on Japan paper, is estimated at $20,000–$40,000. Both works descended from the collection of Professor Kurt Servos of Menlo Park, California, who purchased the works directly from Escher and was a friend of the artist. The provenance provides a particularly compelling connection between these internationally recognized works and the Bay Area.

Moving south to Mexico, Clars is pleased to offer a masterfully painted acrylic on canvas by Rafael Coronel (1932–2019). Titled La Moneda, Recuerdo de Espana, this portrait of a man in a priestly frock features notable hallmarks of Coronel’s work: smooth application, with sfumato contributing to a surreal atmosphere, and naturalistic precision. The figure holds a gold coin to his chest in a mysterious gesture, staring out at the viewer. Coronel’s work ties into the rich Latin American artistic tradition of magical surrealism, infusing religious imagery with dark whimsy. This painting is estimated at $15,000–$25,000.

Contemporary art is represented by David Wiseman’s Untitled (Branch with Blossoms), estimated at $20,000–$40,000, as well as works by Rafael Coronel, Sergio Hernández, John Hoyland, Paul Jenkins, Paul Wonner, Jennifer Losch Bartlett, and Tom Wesselmann. These works demonstrate the auction’s range across abstraction, figuration, mixed media, and works on paper. The sale also features a strong selection of American and California art, with highlights by artists whose work helped define the visual character of the American West and the Bay Area. Among them are Jessie Arms Botke’s Untitled (Egrets), an oil and gold-leaf work estimated at $15,000–$25,000; Henrietta Berk’s Untitled (View of East Bay), a monumental 72 x 78 inch oil on canvas estimated at $15,000–$20,000; and Thomas Hill’s The Intruder, 1888, estimated at $15,000–$20,000.

Berk is represented by a second work, Racing the Tide, estimated at $7,000–$10,000, while other California-focused highlights include Joseph Kleitsch’s California, Hanson Duvall Puthuff’s The Arroyo, Thomas Bierstadt’s Mt. Starry King, Yosemite, James Harwood’s Waterfall in the Watsatch (Utah), Maynard Dixon’s Arizona, and Helen Thomas Dranga’s Sunlight on the Waves, Hawaii.

The auction also offers works of historical significance and broad international appeal. Edward Bannister’s Bridge Over the Creek, 1886, estimated at $10,000–$15,000, represents the work of one of the most important African American painters of the 19th century. Max Halberstadt’s portrait of Sigmund Freud, a gelatin silver print signed by Freud, is estimated at $10,000–$15,000, providing a fascinating intersection of photography, portraiture, and intellectual history.

Works on paper and prints further enrich the sale, including Paul Cézanne’s The Bathers, small plate (Les Baigneurs, petite planche), 1897, estimated at $7,000–$10,000, as well as works by Tom Wesselmann, John Hoyland, Paul Wonner, and others.

The auction’s contemporary and modern offerings are complemented by sculpture, including a bronze male torso by Igor Mitoraj, estimated at $7,000–$10,000, and the distinctive work of contemporary artist David Wiseman. The breadth of mediums and artistic approaches underscores the diversity of Clars’ Fine Art auctions, where historic works are presented alongside modern and contemporary pieces.

Fine Art has always been at the heart of Clars, and this September auction reflects the remarkable range of material that our collectors have come to expect from the department, said Rick Unruh, CEO and President. We are particularly excited about the strength of the California material, the exceptional provenance of the two Escher works, and the dialogue created by bringing together American, European, Latin American, modern, and contemporary works in a single sale.