For the Love of Art

Bay Area Figurative Works, a Pre-Raphaelite Portrait and Modern Japanese Woodblock Prints Headline Michaan's November Gallery Auction

ALAMEDA, CA, UNITED STATES, October 17, 2017 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Auction:
Gallery Auction
Featuring fine art, decorative arts, Asian art and jewelry
Saturday November 11

Previews:
November 4,5, 10 and 11

Location:

Michaan’s Auctions

2751 Todd Street

Alameda, CA 94501

For the Love of Art: Bay Area Figurative Works, a Pre-Raphaelite Portrait and Modern Japanese Woodblock Prints Headline Michaan's November Gallery Auction

Original works of fine art can be equally compelling in tiny  apartments and palatial estates; their power to inspire transcends, as it transforms, our spaces and our lives. A wealth of opportunities awaits art collectors at Michaan's on November 11.. The centerpiece of the auction, from the circle of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, is a Pre-Raphaelite allegorical portrait, one of many fine English and European paintings offered. From a private collection in Marin County, works by prominent artists of the Bay Area Figurative Movement are featured. Precious gems, modern furniture, Tiffany lamps and Asian art also shine in this sale of fine consignments from San Francisco and beyond. 

"The Personification of Autumn," a female portrait from the circle of poet and painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti, captures the voluptuous glow of the fall season. This exquisite painting more than justifies the widespread and enduring passion for  Pre-Raphaelite art. While the movement's origins and principles may be esoteric, its art is easily appreciated: soulful portraits of Bohemian beauties, painted with brilliant color and fine detail. "The Personification of Autumn" epitomizes the Pre-Raphaelite aesthetic and is estimated at $50,000-$80,000. 



One of America's premier postwar painters is also featured at Michaan's in November: Richard Diebenkorn, the abstract expressionist and leading artist of the Bay Area Figurative Movement.  Diebenkorn (1922-1993), whose works are collected and exhibited by major museums worldwide, is the subject of a concurrent solo show at The Crocker Art Museum: "Beginnings, 1942-1955" (through January 7, 2018). Michaan's will auction his etchings "#38 from 41, 1965" ($1,500-$2,000) and "Tulips" ($1,000-$1,500, dated 1989)  alongside works by his California contemporaries David Park, Raimonds Staprans and Nathan Oliveira. The Latvian-born Staprans was displaced in wartime and immigrated to the US, earning a Master's of Fine Art from Berkeley in 1954. His landscapes and variations on the still life theme pulsate with high contrasts of vibrant color. Staprans's "Storm Approaching,"  dated 1961, is offered at $3,000-$5,000 and his 1964 "Reflections" is estimated at $2,000-$3,000.  Nathan Oliveira (1928-2010), a Bay Area native painter, printmaker and sculptor, was the youngest painter included in the 1959 exhibition, "New Images of Man," at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. His studies of the human figure reflect the alienation typical of the human condition in the 20th century, but also suggest the eternal yearning for connection. Oliveira's 1977 small oil, "Young Woman,"  is estimated at $8,000-$12,000 and his "Watercolor Figure, 1965" is offered at $3,000-$4,000. 

Michaan's is well known to collectors as a trusted resource for works from the studios of Louis Comfort Tiffany. Featured in November are the bronze three-light Tiffany glass wall sconces ($5,000-$7,000), a rare matched pair perfectly suited to flanking a fireplace. Also offered is the "acorn" table lamp ($12,000-$15,000), its sculptural  patinated bronze base supporting the green leaded glass shade, of geometric design inspired by ancient mosaics and completed by a band of stylized acorn motifs. Like the pair of graceful "Aladdin" bronze floor lamps ($3,500-$5,000), the wall sconces and acorn lamp are the ultimate lighting fixtures for the connoisseur of Arts and Crafts, and highly prized by Tiffany glass collectors. 


November's great finds in furniture include the set of six caned and chrome Herman Miller cantilever chairs ($800-$1,200), icons of easy comfort and modern style. There is no better focal point for a room than the Steinway baby grand piano, offered this month at $4,000-$6,000. Philip and Kelvin Laverne's mid-century designs have lately skyrocketed in popularity and value; their etched bronze "kuan su" side table is estimated at $2,000-$3,000. November's decorative arts highlights include fine sterling silver pieces, turn-of-the-century French art glass vases by Daum Nancy, and an irresistible pair of Meissen pugs ($2,500-$3,000).

As trends evolve in the Asian art market, Michaan's consistently offers the most coveted pieces to local and international collectors. 2017 has been an excellent year for sales of the Japanese woodblock print, known for its great impact on global art and design. Woodblock prints are stealthily powerful: at first glance straightforward, but comprising layers of complexity. Their influence can be seen in works from Monet's late Impressionist paintings to David Goines's contemporary lithographs. November's auction features two by Chiura Obata (1885-1975). Immigrating to the US as a teenager at the turn of the century, Obata built a successful career as a Bay Area artist and Berkeley professor, only to be imprisoned in a detention camp with fellow Japanese Americans during World War II. His ordeal failed to dim the vitality of his work, which displays both the rigor of traditional Japanese art and the optimistic energy of the American West. Obata's prints are offered this month at very attractive estimated prices: "Bird and Grass"  ($700-$900) and "Mt. Fuji" ($500-$700). Also offered is "Three Butterflies" ($800-$1,200) by Tadashi Nakayama (1927-2014), whose exuberant designs defy our expectations of the woodblock medium. Also in the auction is a vivid print by Joichi Hoshi (1913-1979), acclaimed for his tree studies. Hoshi's "Red Branches" is estimated at $1,500-$2,000. Japanese art treasures offered in November include the pair of stately hexagonal Meiji Period Satsuma vases. Signed Dai Nihon Kozan, they feature scenes of elegant figures in a formal landscape ($3,000-$5,000). 


Native American jewelry, strands of fine cultured pearls, antique pocket watches and fabulous cocktail rings are also in this sale, which begins at 10 AM PST on Saturday, November 11. Visit www.michaans.com for complete details on how to bid online, by phone or in person. 

Talesa Eugenio
Michaans Auction
(510) 740-0220 x 116
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