Incredible prices are being achieved at auction—if you’ve ever considered selling, now is the time. Clars Auctions is currently seeking quality consignments for its upcoming monthly auctions.
Raimonds Staprans (American/Latvian, b. 1926), The Mid Summer Drop-Leaf Table, 1993, oil on canvas, 48″ x 42″. Sold: $189,000
This April we are honored to present the collection of Lila Mae Azad — a woman whose devotion to the arts lives on through her legacy.
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Artist Spotlight: Raimonds Staprans
Artist Spotlight
Modern + Contemporary Art
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.
Raimonds Staprans (American/Latvian, b. 1926), Blue Boats, 1990, oil on canvas, 44″ x 48″. Sold: $187,500
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.
Raimonds Staprans (American, b. 1926), Still Life with Red Piano Stool, 1987, oil on canvas, 64″ x 42″. Sold: $147,600
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.
To be offered May 15th: Raimonds Staprans (American/Latvian, b. 1926), The Mid Summer Drop-Leaf Table, 1993, oil on canvas, 48″ x 42″. Sold: $189,000
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.
Raimonds Staprans (American/Latvian, b. 1926), The Black Boat, 1963, oil on canvas, 22″ x 25″. Sold: $18,900
This February, we are thrilled to showcase an exceptional array of artwork from masters like Marc Chagall, Andy Warhol, and much more.
Highlights
Modern + Contemporary Art
Modern + Contemporary Art Consignments Now Invited
Consignments
Modern + Contemporary Art
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].
To be offered May 15th: Raimonds Staprans (American/Latvian, b. 1926), The Mid Summer Drop-Leaf Table, 1993, oil on canvas, 48″ x 42″. Estimate: $60,000–$90,000
This February, we are thrilled to showcase an exceptional array of artwork from masters like Marc Chagall, Andy Warhol, and much more.
Highlights
Modern + Contemporary Art
Fine Art Consignments Now Invited!
Consignments
Fine Art
If you have ever thought about selling at auction, NOW is the time. Incredible prices are being achieved on fine paintings, prints and sculpture.
Clars’ Fine Art Specialists will be in the following areas to offer private and confidential in home appointments: San Francisco | Carmel | Palo Alto | San Rafael | Healdsburg
To schedule your appointment, call (510) 428-0100 x 123 OR email [email protected]
Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881–1973), Plat à la Tête de Faune, 1948, partially engraved white earthenware ceramic plate with colored engobe and glaze, 12.5″ x 15.5″ x 2″. Sold: $75,600
Sam Francis (American, 1923–1994), Untitled, 1963, gouache on paper, 13.75″ x 12.5″. Sold: $28,980
William Keith (American, 1838–1911), Into the Yosemite Valley, circa 1895–1906, oil on canvas, 36″ x 60″. Sold: $113,400 – 5th highest auction record for the artist
Clars is pleased to offer an assorted collection of paintings and prints by renowned Mexican artists at our July 18th auction.
Fine Art
Highlights
Important Fine Art Consignments Invited!
Consignments
Fine Art
Clars is now seeking Important Fine Art consignments for our upcoming Fall auction. Schedule your private and confidential appointment now to speak to one of our Fine Art Specialists to determine your item’s auction potential.
Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881–1973), Visage Masque, 1947, ceramic plate, 12.5″ x 15″ (31.75 x 38.1 cm). Sold: $68,750
Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881–1973), Wood-Owl (Hibou des bois), 1968, partially glazed white earthenware pitcher painted in colors, 11.5″h x 8.5″w x 6″d. Sold: $27,500
Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881–1973), Vase deux anses hautes, 1952, white earthenware ceramic vase (partially engraved), 15″h x 9.5″w x 6.75″d. Sold: $35,215
Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881–1973), Plat à la Tête de Faune, 1948, partially engraved white earthenware ceramic plate with colored engobe and glaze, 12.5″ x 15.5″ x 2″. Sold: $75,600
