OAKLAND, CALIF. — “Our two Croatian paintings sold quite well,” said Rick Unruh, president and chief executive officer of Clars Auction Gallery, which hosted three sales in two days, April 14-15. Topping the sale was Vladimir Varlaj’s “Mountain of Klek,” (illustrated), which brought $50,400, just ahead of the $47,250 realized by Vladimir Becic’s “Landscape Bosnia, II.” The result for the Varlaj set a new world record for the artist while that for the Becic was the second highest auction total to date, following the artist’s world record of $49,200 that Clars realized in 2019. Both paintings came from the same seller and had provenance to Mr and Mrs Milton D. Redford, the Carl Hamilton Collection and the Collection of the Anglo & London Paris National Bank in San Francisco. According to Unruh, “International internet bidders were the majority on both but a telephone bidder from Croatia came in last — and best — on both as the winning bidder. Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium; a future issue will feature more highlights from the two days of auctions.