Clars’ November Gallery Auction Featuring Important Works of Fine Art this November 20th is brimming with impressive works by highly sought artists.

One standout piece is an oil on canvas board by American Impressionist Julian Onderdonk (1882–1922), one of the most celebrated painters to come from the state of Texas. A San Antonio native, Onderdonk was born into a family of artists and studied in his early career under the renowned William Merritt Chase. Onderdonk’s most beloved works depict fields of bluebonnet flowers, the state flower of Texas. The oil painting in our November auction is titled Blue Bonnets and Cactus (Near San Antonio) and in it, cerulean blooms mingle with a field of green grass and cactus plants under a spring sky. Onderdonk’s bluebonnet paintings are highly prized among collectors of plein air painting, and this work is a beautiful example of the artist’s talent. Blue Bonnets and Cactus (Near San Antonio) is estimated at $60,000–$90,000.

A second highlight in the November auction is a woodcut print by Dutch graphic artist M.C. Escher (1898–1982). While Escher is known globally for his surreal, tesseract-like compositions, the woodcut at Clars this month, shows another fascinating aspect of the artist’s oeuvre. Puddle, dating to 1952, functions as a narrative scene; we see the muddy ground impressed with foot and tire prints, and blossoming in the center is a puddle of flat, still water, reflecting the sparse tree canopy above. The unique perspective of the image implores the viewer to place themselves within the scene, perhaps walking after a winter rain shower while the full moon begins to rise. Clars has recently achieved outstanding selling prices with Escher’s work, and this exceptional piece is sure to catch the refined collector’s eye. Puddle is estimated at $25,000–$35,000.

A third featured piece this month is an oil on canvas board by California Society of Six founder Selden Connor Gile (1877–1947). Gile’s style was partially inspired by the Fauve and French Impressionist paintings he saw at the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, and that influence is apparent in Fisher Houses, the painterly composition to be offered in our November auction. The scene depicts brightly colored buildings hugging the tree-lined coast, with two small boats floating nearby. The pastel tones evoke warm summer weather with vibrant plants and calm waters. This piece is one of several works by Gile, and one of many fine early California paintings, in the November auction. Fisher Houses is estimated at $10,000–$15,000.

Also among the large array of highlights in this sale are an oil on canvas by Charles Wysocki, an acrylic on Celotex by Richard Artschwager, an oil on canvas by Lois Mailou Jones, a mixed media piece by Jose Alvarez DOPA, and dozens of other exquisite pieces offered in time for the upcoming holiday season.