OAKLAND, CA.- Clars Auction Gallery’s February 22-23, 2020 auction will present to the market highly significant works by renowned artists, designers and historic collections spanning the categories of Fine Art, Decorative Arts & Furnishings, Jewelry and Asian Antiques and Art. This auction will be one to watch as the important investment level property to be offered will draw highly competitive bidding from the global market.
Fine Art
Clars presents the stand out painting, Eid al-Fitr,” (Breaking the Fast) 1902, by the amazing French naturalized Austrian Orientalist painter Ludwig Deutsch (Austrian/French, 1855-1935). This work is signed, inscribed and dated ‘L. Deutsch Le Caire 1902’on the lower left.
Despite the startling clarity of his pictures, the details of Ludwig Deutsch's life remain elusive and vague. Brought up in Vienna, he studied at the Akademie der Bildenden Künste before moving to Paris in 1878. There he befriended several Orientalist artists, including Arthur von Ferraris, Jean Discart, and his lifelong friend Rudolf Ernst. It is likely that he studied with the French history painter Jean-Paul Laurens prior to his participation in the Société des Artistes Français from 1879 to 1925; his other instructors and mentors, however, are unknown. In 1919, Deutsch gained French citizenship and, after a brief absence, began exhibiting again under the name "Louis Deutsch." In an effort to stay current and revive what was now a waning genre, Deutsch's technique in the years after 1910 began to change; his late pictures hovered between the highly detailed, polished surfaces for which he – and several other Orientalist painters – had become renowned, and the looser brushwork and more highly keyed palette of Post-Impressionism. Throughout this long and varied career, Deutsch consciously avoided the picturesque and anecdotal qualities that marked so many contemporary Orientalist works, and chose instead a far broader and more modern approach. Drawing from all aspects of Middle Eastern life – especially Egyptian – and isolating and scrutinizing particular moments in time, Deutsch's paintings are today seen as verging on the cinematic, with all the spectacular and static qualities of a promotional film still. The subject of Breaking the Fast, Eid al-Fitr,though less common in Deutsch's oeuvre, was a familiar one in the nineteenth century, in both literature and art.1. Unique to Deutsch’s painting however, are the brilliant color scheme (note how the red of the young girl's dress is mirrored by the close-fitting caps of the seated men and the rose petals strewn along the ground) and the subtle symbolism of the scene. The fragility of the flowers (a common adornment for tombs during special ceremonies) may be meant as a reminder of the brevity of life and, in the juxtaposition of Arab children and well-worn tombstones, the continuity of Egyptian culture and the circle of life are pointedly suggested. Deutsch's interest in the distinctive form of the Arab tomb and tombstone may be gauged by the repetition of the motif in another important painting of the period. The enduring popularity of such subjects among his contemporaries, moreover, extended far beyond Deutsch's adopted Parisian home. The present work was acquired in Cairo more than a decade after it was painted, perhaps during Deutsch's return to the region during World War I. Breaking the Fast, Eid al-Fitr,will be offered for $250,000-350,000.
Turning to other highlights in this category will be the oil on canvas by Ralph Albert Blakelock (American, 1847-1919) titled Trees by a Stream. This work represents his renown for painting serene and beautiful landscapes and will be offered for $20,000 – 30,000. (Note: This work is accompanied with University of Nebraska Blakelock (inv. #158 verso) letter from Norman Geske verso (Geske inventory #NBI-158)
From California Impressionist painter Jack Wilkinson Smith (American, 1873-1949) will be his oil on canvas Untitled (Laguna Tidal Pool) that will be offered for $15,000 – 20,000.
A classic painting by Alaskan artist, Sydney Laurence (American, 1865-1940), featuring his favorite subject matter, Mount McKinley, will also be offered at $10,000-20,000.
Nude in Red Veilby Elias J. Rivera (Guatemalan b. 1937) is a painting displaying the absolute perfection of the human body. Rivera’s captivating work ranges from the Guatemala Series and the New Mexico series being known for his realistic paintings of the people and colorful street in Guatemala, Santa Fe, Mexico, and Peru. This painting will certainly go for its estimate of $8,000-12,000.
Sculpture
Highlighting the sculpture offerings will be the bronze Figure Four, 1983, by Nathan Oliveira (American, 1929-2010), that will be offered for $50,000 – 70,000.
From artist and sculpture Lynda Benglis (American, b. 1941), will be Norseman, a stainless steel mesh and aluminum sculpture that will be presented for $40,000 – 60,000. (Provenance: Purchased from Toomey Tourell Gallery, San Francisco, CA, 2001.)
Photography
Clars will present an impressive photo collection including 13 photos from Ruth Berhenhard’s Nude Series, and several other iconic photograpghs by Bruce Davidson, Sebastaio Salgado, Jerry Uelsmann, Andy Warhol Polaroids, Marion Post Wilcott, and other great pieces by major photographers.
Decorative Arts & Furnishings
20th Century Design offerings will also take center stage at the February sale. To be offered is an exciting selection of Nakashima furniture by George and Mira Nakashima. Highlights include two pairs of George Nakashima Greenrock stools, each estimated at $10,000-15,000, as well as a walnut cabinet expected to bring $25,000-35,000.
Also to be featured prominently in the sale will be a George Nakashima for Widdicomb even arm sofa, valued at $20,000-40,000.
Clars presents the second installment of the collection of Oceanic and Tribal art items from the Richard I.M. Kelton Collection, Marina del Rey, California. The selection of items to be presented have a cumulative estimate of over $50,000-100,000. One of the many highlights includes a Vanuatu Rambaramp tall and spectacular effigy figure that will be offered for $4,000-6,000.
Fine sterling will also be a standout with the top offering being a Reed and Barton Love Disarmedflatware service that will be offered for $15,000-20,000.
A collection of Tiffany Studios lighting includes a damascene and patinated bronze floor lamp, estimated at $6,000-7,000, and a chain mail chandelier.
Rounding out the other highlights in this category will be a grouping of four Louis XV period fauteuils from the collection of Antoinette Quilleret, "Topsy," co-founder and President of David Webb for 18 years, valued at $4,000-6,000. Also to be offered is an Austrian Joann Balkrausen carpet, valued at $7,000-10,000.
A variety of Native American art, including an Eastern Woodlands or Great Plains Catlinite pipe and an American Eastern Woodlands Indian presentation pipe tomahawk estimated to achieve at $5,000-7,000.
The Jewelry & Timepieces
February jewelry kicks off the sale with a selection of amethyst jewelry to celebrate the month’s birthstone. The highlight is a 48 carat, deep purple amethyst ring, accented with 6 full-cut diamonds.
Also to be offered is a fabulous ruby, diamond and 18k white gold necklace with 20.7 carats worth of rubies and 41 carats worth of diamonds, with a pre-sale estimate of $19,000-20,000. This necklace is worthy of dazzling at any award ceremony!
A large selection of elegant diamond jewelry includes a diamond, platinum by-pass ring with a total diamond weight of 2.60 carats; a pair of diamond and 18k white gold earrings featuring marquise, pear, triangular and full-cut diamonds, with a total carat weight of 6 carats; and an Art Deco style diamond and platinum bracelet with 6.65 carats worth of diamond weight, with pre-sale estimates at $900-1,200, $4,000-6,000 and $7,500-8,500 respectively.
From Cartier will be a whimsical agate, coral, diamond and 18k yellow gold duck brooch, with a pre-sale estimate of $6,000-9,000. This adorable brooch features a duck with sapphire eyes and a diamond necklace, topped with a jaunty gold crown.
Also included in the sale is a selection of wristwatches, the highlight is a Cartier Pasha 18k yellow gold chronograph wristwatch with box and papers, estimated at $9,000-10,000.
Finally a large selection of pearl jewelry will be offered in this sale. The pearl market is seeing a resurgence in fashion with both females and males. Most noteworthy are both Harry Styles and the Jonas Brothers choosing to wear pearl necklaces at big award ceremonies like the Grammys. Notable lots to be offered are a Henry Dunay South Sea cultured pearl, diamond and platinum bracelet; a cultured pearl, emerald and gold convertible necklace-bracelet; and a pair of South Sea cultured pearl, diamond and white gold convertible earrings.
The Asian Art & Antiques
Among the highlights to be presented in this category is a large Chinese metal-alloy rectangular incense burner carried by two foreigners, six character “Da Ming Xuan De Nian Zhi” mark to the base. Coming to the sale from a prominent San Francisco, California estate, this lot will be offered for $3,000 – 5,000.
Other exceptional pieces include is a Chinese carved coral figure of a beauty with a parrot and child that is estimated to sell for $4,000 – 6,000. An inscribed Chinese bronze censer, the deep bowl-shaped body cast with a band of confronting archaistic phoenix against a leiwen ground, will be offered for $3,000 – 5,000.
