On May 15th in our Modern + Contemporary Fine Art Auction, we are thrilled to showcase an exceptional array of artwork from masters like Raimonds Staprans, Wayne Thiebaud, Joan Brown, Helen Frankenthaler, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Joan Miro, Pablo Picasso, and much more. The auction will begin at 10 AM PDT. Preview May 14th, 1–5 PM PDT.

This May 15th, Clars is excited to offer an outstanding oil on canvas painting by Latvian American artist Raimonds Staprans (b. 1926) in our Modern + Contemporary Fine Art Auction.

Upon moving to the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1950s, Staprans was quickly adopted by the art community in his chosen home and remains one of the foremost representatives of post-war California painting nationwide. Staprans is known for his large swaths of bright color, often playing with natural light and the perception of shape and texture, and his understated treatment of subject.

Current trends in the market show that the highly saturated paintings that Staprans perfected in the late 1980s and 1990s are increasingly popular with collectors. Clars has been successful with several of these pieces in the last five years, including a 1987 oil on canvas titled, Still Life with Red Piano Stool, which sold well over its estimate at $147,600 in 2020, and Blue Boats, a 1990 painting that sold for $187,500 in 2022. Still life depictions of food are among the most recognizable of Staprans’ motifs. Staprans’ highest record price was realized in 2023 for a 1995 still life depicting oranges, done in a vibrantly warm palette that is strikingly similar to the piece up for auction at Clars this May.

The scene takes place in a space unmarked by identifying objects, furnished with a stool-like drop-leaf table. The table’s edges and sides are traced with prismatic colors in a manner that leaves the viewer questioning if the color is painted on the posts and boards, or if the unseen sun is playing tricks on our eyes. The top of the table appears to be doused with direct sunlight, bright white and glowing against the orange background. To the viewer’s right, the sides of the table’s legs are cast in a sunset glow the same tangerine shade as the background. Sitting atop the table is a peeled apple, its sides angled and smoothed with a paring knife. The fruit casts a half-moon shadow that points toward the open leaf of the table and is echoed on each stretcher below.

This work, titled The Mid Summer Drop-Leaf Table (estimated at $60,000–$90,000), showcases Staprans’ skill in using color to portray light, perspective, and a specific atmosphere. The tones chosen in this composition evoke the warmth of the summer months, and the slant of the dazzling sunshine on the table and fruit leave us wondering if this is the end of a late-evening garden party, where a table full of fresh fruit has dwindled to a lone apple and the leaves are dropped one by one. This outstanding example of Staprans’ later work is a celebration of color and light, an ode to atmosphere, and will be a significant addition to any collection.

This April we are honored to present the extraordinary art collection of Lila Mae “Peggy” Azad — a woman whose lifelong devotion to the arts lives on through her legacy.

Peggy once wrote: “I am the temporary custodian. In exchange for the privilege of living with and caring for my objects I am leaving them all for a museum or art gallery for the ‘public’ to enjoy after Manouch and I are no longer alive.” Her wish was to ensure that her collection would one day be shared with the world.

This significant collection includes over 90 Chinese and Japanese ivory sculptures and more than 114 diverse works from around the globe — spanning American, Chinese, French, Iranian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Native American, Russian, Thai, and Vietnamese origins. The pieces vary in form and material, including porcelain, cloisonné, glass vases, plates, bowls, bronze and carved alabaster sculptures, a Russian brass samovar, Japanese woodblock prints, and hand-woven Iranian silk tapestry panels threaded with gold and silver.

Notably, the collection features works by renowned Iranian artists Parviz Tanavoli and Sia Armajani, reflecting Peggy’s deep connection to both international and Iranian art and culture.

Born on May 5, 1933, in her family’s home in St. Paul, Minnesota, to Jesse Joseph Schneider and Laura Harriette Ronning Schneider, Peggy — known to many simply as Peggy Azad — lived a life filled with purpose, passion, and artistic appreciation.

Consignments are now invited for our upcoming Modern + Contemporary Fine Art Auction on Thursday, May 15th.

Schedule an appointment today with one of our Fine Art Specialists. The deadline to consign is Friday, April 25th. To schedule your appointment, call (510) 428-0100 x 130 OR email [email protected].

This March 21st at Clars Auctions, we will be featuring a curated assortment of artwork from a wide range of periods and locales.

Starting in our own state of California, we have an oil on canvas by plein air painter Marion Kavanaugh Wachtel (American, 1876–1954). Wachtel was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and studied in Chicago before moving to California, where she studied under Scottish American master landscapist William Keith.

Keith’s influence coupled with her new surroundings inspired Wachtel to move away from portraiture and embrace landscape painting, focusing her attention on the mountains, coasts, and foliage of southern California. The painting in this month’s sale is titled Autumn, Trabuco Mountains, California, (estimate: $8,000–$12,000) and depicts the leaves changing color amidst the peak on the border of Orange and Riverside Counties.

Next in our selection of highlights this month is an oil on panel painting by contemporary Canadian artist Ambera Wellmann (Canadian, b. 1982). Wellmann is known for her surreal, collage-like painting techniques that evoke the work of earlier experimental painters like Francis Bacon and Max Ernst, often depicting hybrid bodies and intensely pigmented bacchanal-like scenes. These works regularly bring over $100,000 at auction, and Wellmann is currently represented by major contemporary art gallery Hauser & Wirth. In Wellmann’s early work, her mastery of blending color is apparent, as is her ability to access emotion in unexpected imagery. The piece featured at Clars this month is titled Cloud #7 (estimate: $8,000–$12,000) and dates to 2009. Wellmann presents a mass of gray and white clouds in varied tones moving against a cerulean sky while a hint of peachy, warm sun glows from behind the vapor.

A third feature in our March auction is a large-scale sculpture by German artist Wolfgang Stiller (German, b. 1961) titled Matchsticks (estimate: $5,000–$7,000). Stiller, whose first solo gallery show was in 1986, focuses his practice on objects and installations, often transforming familiar and ordinary items into uncanny and unsettling facsimiles. Among his ouvre are cast wax geodes, a recreation of a scientific laboratory inside a disused train car, and bronze baby heads fashioned into ginseng roots. The human head is a common point of inspiration for Stiller, and this is apparent in Matchsticks, in which three wood matchsticks are topped with hairless, male heads, burnt black and resembling medieval death masks in a kind of postmodern memento mori.

Also among the featured highlights in our March auction are works by Thomas Hill, Maurice Braun, John Frederick Kensett, Tavakol Esmaili and much more.

Our Modern + Contemporary Fine Art Auction on February 20th will feature many exceptional works by renowned artists. One of the standout pieces is Vote McGovern (1972), an iconic screenprint by Andy Warhol, estimated $30,000–$50,000.

This politically charged work from 1972 reinterprets a photograph of Richard Nixon, using a vivid color palette that references First Lady Pat Nixon’s dress. The unsettling portrait, created to support George McGovern’s presidential campaign, is a striking example of Warhol’s ability to blend art with political activism.

Our Modern + Contemporary Fine Art Auction on February 20th will feature many exceptional works by renowned artists. One of the standout pieces is The Summit Conference (1986), an oil painting by John Alexander estimated at $30,000–$50,000.

Known for his atmospheric depictions of the Gulf Coast’s bayou landscapes, Alexander infuses his paintings with surrealist elements, such as skeletons in formal wear and masked figures. The work on offer features two baboons facing off against one another, with intense, expressive brushstrokes suggesting a deeper political commentary during the tense era of the Reykjavik Summit talks between Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev.

Marc Chagall, revered worldwide for his ability to blend diverse artistic techniques into a distinct, dreamlike style, is particularly known for integrating his Jewish heritage into his art.

Chagall‘s vivid, often surreal compositions are alive with color, and his use of blue — which has been interpreted as symbolizing spirituality and divinity — is particularly notable. Drawing from his personal experiences and Jewish folk traditions, Chagall’s works come alive with a sense of movement and emotion, making them both fantastical and deeply personal.

Among the highlights of the auction are two rare works on paper by Chagall, L’hiver: Procession de Noël (Les quatre saisons) (1974) and Le Dimanche (circa 1939), each carrying an estimate of $300,000–$500,000.

In L’hiver, Chagall presents an enchanting scene filled with angelic figures in the sky, joyful dancers, a fantastical half-human, half-hen figure with her young, and a procession of Christmas revelers. This eclectic composition echoes Chagall’s 1974 mosaic Four Seasons in Chicago’s Chase Tower, where he similarly fused vibrant, animated figures with animals and abstract forms. This work exemplifies Chagall’s later style, where his compositions often feel spontaneous and unrestrained.

Le Dimanche, created around 1939, depicts a tranquil rural scene with a couple strolling past a goat and a chicken. The horned goat, a recurring symbol in Chagall’s work, is often linked to his childhood in the shtetl and is sometimes interpreted as an allegory for the artist himself. The piece also reflects Chagall’s connection to the innocent life he left behind, likely providing him with solace during the uncertain period of World War II. Both of these works, created with gouache, pastel, and mixed media, are rich in color and texture, showcasing Chagall’s masterful use of materials.

On February 20th in our Modern + Contemporary Fine Art Auction, we are thrilled to showcase an exceptional array of artwork from masters like Marc Chagall, Wayne Thiebaud, John Alexander, Andy Warhol, and much more. The auction will begin at 10 AM PST. Preview February 19th, 1–5 PM PST.

Chagall, revered worldwide for his ability to blend diverse artistic techniques into a distinct, dreamlike style, is particularly known for integrating his Jewish heritage into his art. His vivid, often surreal compositions are alive with color, and his use of blue — which has been interpreted as symbolizing spirituality and divinity — is particularly notable. Drawing from his personal experiences and Jewish folk traditions, Chagall’s works come alive with a sense of movement and emotion, making them both fantastical and deeply personal.

Among the highlights of the auction are two rare works on paper by Chagall, L’hiver: Procession de Noël (Les quatre saisons) (1974) and Le Dimanche (circa 1939), each carrying an estimate of $300,000–$500,000.

In L’hiver, Chagall presents an enchanting scene filled with angelic figures in the sky, joyful dancers, a fantastical half-human, half-hen figure with her young, and a procession of Christmas revelers. This eclectic composition echoes Chagall’s 1974 mosaic Four Seasons in Chicago’s Chase Tower, where he similarly fused vibrant, animated figures with animals and abstract forms. This work exemplifies Chagall’s later style, where his compositions often feel spontaneous and unrestrained.

Le Dimanche, created around 1939, depicts a tranquil rural scene with a couple strolling past a goat and a chicken. The horned goat, a recurring symbol in Chagall’s work, is often linked to his childhood in the shtetl and is sometimes interpreted as an allegory for the artist himself. The piece also reflects Chagall’s connection to the innocent life he left behind, likely providing him with solace during the uncertain period of World War II. Both of these works, created with gouache, pastel, and mixed media, are rich in color and texture, showcasing Chagall’s masterful use of materials.

In addition to Chagall, this auction will feature other exceptional works by renowned modern and contemporary artists. One of the standout pieces is The Summit Conference (1986), an oil painting by John Alexander estimated at $30,000–$50,000. Known for his atmospheric depictions of the Gulf Coast’s bayou landscapes, Alexander infuses his paintings with surrealist elements, such as skeletons in formal wear and masked figures. The work on offer features two baboons facing off against one another, with intense, expressive brushstrokes suggesting a deeper political commentary during the tense era of the Reykjavik Summit talks between Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev.

Also featured is Vote McGovern, an iconic screenprint by Andy Warhol, estimated $30,000–$50,000. This politically charged work from 1972 reinterprets a photograph of Richard Nixon, using a vivid color palette that references First Lady Pat Nixon’s dress. The unsettling portrait, created to support George McGovern’s presidential campaign, is a striking example of Warhol’s ability to blend art with political activism.

Additionally, Siddhartha’s Contemplation No. 2, an oil painting by Sri Lankan artist Senaka Senanayake, will also be featured with an estimate of $18,000–$24,000. Known for his lush depictions of the rainforest and his signature translucent layering technique, Senanayake’s works often explore Buddhist themes of impermanence and interconnectedness. This particular piece, inspired by the meditation of Siddhartha Gautama (the historical Buddha), reflects Senanayake’s serene, colorful approach to spirituality.

Other notable works in this month’s auction include pieces by Wayne Thiebaud, Roy Lichtenstein, John McCracken, Robert Arneson, and Hunt Slonem — making it a must-attend event for collectors and art enthusiasts alike.

This January at Clars we are excited to offer unique works by the fascinating artist, Cady Wells, whose style was inspired by Southwestern desert landscapes and topography.

Wells was born in Massachusetts in 1904 and was raised in a household that valued arts education, taking music, literature, and fine arts classes in his youth. Despite his interest in cultural education, Wells did not fare well in the boarding schools he attended, and after dropping out of several New England academies, he was sent to Arizona in 1992 where he fell in love with the desert landscape. By 1932, Wells had decided on painting as his artistic path forward and was invited to stay at the artist’s colony in Santa Fe, New Mexico, which was also home to Georgia O’Keeffe, Andrew Dasburg, and a host of poets and writers at the time.

Wells began exhibiting alongside artists including Mark Tobey, Morris Graves, and Jackson Pollack while living between Taos and Santa Fe, and during this time the painter came to terms with his sexuality, entering a committed relationship with author and poet Myron Brinig. Wells’ relationship and career were interrupted by his service in World War II. While serving in Germany during the last nine months of the war, Wells worked with topographic maps, the influence of which is apparent in his subsequent work. Upon returning to New Mexico in 1945, Wells remained deeply affected by what he had seen in Europe, and by his own home’s proximity to the nuclear testing site at Los Alamos. He spent his final years traveling the world while remaining anchored in New Mexico, and finally finding national recognition with exhibitions in New York City, Chicago, and San Francisco, before his premature death from heart failure in 1953 at the age of 49.

Wells stands out among his peers for being a truly original artist whose abstract compositions emulate only the curves and colors of the Southwestern landscape and avoid recalling the techniques and styles of any other painter. His work remains a hidden gem among the swaths of artists who have flocked to Taos and Santa Fe over the years, never quite gaining the same reputation as his local contemporaries who favored traditional landscapes and figural painting over emotive and avant garde abstraction. The works in this month’s auction show a range of Wells’ stylistic variety, with examples displaying his interest in topographic maps as well as his prowess in color, form, and movement.