Clars’ Important Holiday Fine Art Auction on December 18th presents an exceptional selection of artworks by celebrated artists working across a wide range of periods and styles.

Among the premier highlights is an oil on canvas by Bay Area favorite, Raimonds Staprans (American/Latvian, b. 1926), an artist with whom Clars has consistently achieved strong results. Staprans is renowned for his vivid palette and distinctive use of line — qualities that are fully evident in Still Life with the Ugly Hockney Vase #2. The off-white vase rests on a similarly colored surface set against a striking red ground, while delicate lines in orange, violet, and sky blue trace the object’s edges and heighten its dimensionality. Selected for the cover of the 2006 exhibition catalog for Staprans’ retrospective at the Latvian National Museum, the painting exemplifies the artist’s ability to reinvigorate traditional still-life subjects through bold color and decisive brushwork. This work is estimated at $150,000–$200,000.

Another major feature of the December sale is a mixed-media work on canvas by Los Angeles based artist Mark Bradford (American, b. 1961). Bradford’s practice is deeply informed by his upbringing in South Los Angeles and by his explorations of race, gender, and identity — as well as the influence of his mother’s hair salon — where he worked after high school. Many of his materials originate in that environment, including hair dye and the end papers used in perm treatments. The December offering, painted in soft green hues, is layered with sheets of end paper in various states of translucency, some singed to a deep brown. The staggered layers create surprising depth and texture across the surface. Bradford’s work is widely admired and held in prominent collections, and he has received national recognition, including his inclusion in Time Magazine’s 2021 list of the most influential people and the National Medal of Arts in 2023. This untitled piece carries an estimate of $20,000–$30,000.

A further highlight is a ceramic plate by Spanish modernist Pablo Picasso (1881–1973), titled Visage de Femme and dating to 1953 during his collaboration with the Madoura Pottery studio in Vallauris, France. Picasso’s ceramics remain highly desirable as accessible, yet significant examples of his contributions to twentieth-century art. This piece features the Cubist depiction of a woman’s face, rendered in white, cyan, and blue on a black ground, with a bold white line forming the nose above a slight smile and a beaded necklace. The plate is estimated at $15,000–$20,000.

These marquee offerings are joined by additional works from artists such as Granville Redmond, Wayne Thiebaud, Jules Tavernier, Maynard Dixon, Thomas Hart Benton, and many more.

The Fine Art department at Clars will present a strong selection of works by acclaimed California and American artists like Maynard Dixon, Percy Gray, Thomas Hill, Karl Schmidt and much more on June 20th.

Among the highlights in California and American Impressionism is Arizona Landscape, a 1944 oil on board by Western master Maynard Dixon (American, 1875–1946), estimated at $15,000–$20,000. Another featured piece is Eucalyptus Trees with Field of Irises, a graceful watercolor by Percy Gray (American, 1869–1952), estimated at $6,000–$9,000. This piece is one of two works by Gray in the sale, including Oaks in a Field, a 1920 watercolor estimated at $4,000–$6,000.

Another important landscape is Hetch Hetchy (California) by Thomas Hill (American, 1829–1908), an oil on board also estimated at $6,000–$9,000. Additional highlights include View from Salmon Creek, an oil on canvas by Emmy Lou Packard (American, 1914–1998), estimated at $5,000–$7,000, and Near the Mouth, an evocative coastal scene by Theodore Wores (American, 1859–1939), estimated at $4,000–$6,000.

The sale also features a strong group of early 20th-century California works, including Cliff and Sunset, both circa 1920 by Karl Schmidt (American, 1890–1962). These vertical oil on linen paintings, each measuring 28 x 13 inches, are estimated at $2,000–$4,000. Additional offerings include Untitled (Landscape with Lake) by Carl Jonnevold (American, 1856–1955), estimated at $600–$900; Untitled (Cows on a Hillside) by Alexis Matthew Podchernikoff (American/Russian, 1886–1933), estimated at $800–$1,200; Desert Landscape by Carl Sammons (American, 1883–1968), estimated at $600–$900; and Untitled (Native Americans by a River) by A.D.M. Cooper (American, 1856–1924), painted in 1916 and estimated at $700–$1,000.