ALAMEDA, Calif. – A wealth of opportunities awaits art collectors at Michaan’s on Saturday, Nov. 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 also featured. Absentee and Internet live bidding is available through LiveAuctioneers.

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 (above) 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 Jan. 7. Michaan’s will auction his etchings #38 from 41, 1965 (est. $1,500-$2,000) and Tulips, 1989 (est. $1,000-$1,500) 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 U.S., earning a master’s degree in 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.

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 Three Butterflies ($800-$1,200) by Tadashi Nakayama (1927-2014), whose exuberant designs defy our expectations of the woodblock medium. Another highlight is the 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).

With artworks of such distinction in the auction house, it’s fitting that November’s fine jewelry includes treasures like the rare emerald of over 6.5 carats, its Colombian origin certified by GIA. Set in a platinum and 18K gold ring with diamond accents, it has a deep, velvety hue and is estimated at $20,000-$30,000. Another superstar is the Tiffany brooch of large, luscious carved coral cherries, with diamonds in 18K gold ($8,000-$12,000).

The auction will begin Saturday, Nov. 11, at 10 a.m. Pacific time.

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