On October 10, David Dike Fine Art will present the annual Texas Art Auction, marking the 30th anniversary of a sale dedicated to significant works representing the Lone Star State.
Held at the David Dike Fine Art gallery in Farm Branch, Texas, just north of downtown Dallas, the live sale will feature nearly 400 lots, ranging from an 1845 work by artist Friedrich Richard Petri to a small selection of works completed as recently as last year. The majority of the art is from the 1930s to 1970s. Headlining this year’s Texas Art Auction are two important Merritt Mauzey (1898-1973) paintings. Other highlights include works by Everett Spruce, William Lester and John Douglass.
Merritt Mauzey (1898-1973), Trip to the Gin, ca. 1940. Oil on Masonite, 30 x 40 in. Estimate: $60/80,000
“This year, we have some really rare masterworks of the Dallas Nine and Lone Star Regionalism,” explains auction owner David Dike. “These works, such as Merritt Mauzey’s Trip to the Gin, 1940, and Harry Carnohan’s West Texas Landscape, 1936, give a unique view into the American Scene Movement. The Carnohan is especially exciting to have in this auction as it was exhibited in the seminal 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition at the newly opened Dallas Museum of Fine Arts building in Fair Park. I recently flew out to California to pursue this painting, so it is an honor to have it back in Texas, and specifically Dallas, on the 90th anniversary of the year it was painted, and first exhibited in this state.”
Mauzey’s Trip to the Gin has a presale estimate of $60,000 to $80,000.Mauzey is also represented by the 1939 painting Parker Ranch in Winter, Texas (est. $40/60,000), which Dike says, “serves as a profound historical anchor for the Lone Star Regionalism movement.” The year it was executed, the painting was exhibited in the prestigious Dallas Allied Arts Exhibition alongside work by contemporaries Alexandre Hogue, William Lester, Jerry Bywaters and Otis Dozier. “The composition captures a traditional West Texas ranch house surrounded by developing agricultural structures,” continues Dike. “Beyond mere landscape documentation, the painting visually records a critical socio-economic evolution: the grueling, structural transition from open free-range cattle ranching to industrialized modern pasturing.”
John Douglass (1905-1969), The Village Road, 1934. Oil on board, 20 x 20 in. Estimate: $40/60,000
Another work of note is Douglass’ The Village Road (est. $40/60,000). Douglass was a key member of the Dallas Nine and this painting was created at the peak of his career and the movement’s prominence.
TheTexas Art Auction has come a long way since the first sale in November 1996 that featured 123 lots. “It was the first auction of its kind to specifically feature Texas art,” shares Dike. “From the start, we were focusing on early Texas art, Lone Star Regionalism, and Texas Impressionism and had a few nice examples of Texas Abstractionism from the 1940s and ’50s. Over time, we have set numerous auction records for artists of these important art movements and seen the market expand drastically and especially for the Texas Abstractionists. The community of collectors, historians, museum and gallery professionals focusing on these artists has strengthened and grown.”
Merritt Mauzey (1898-1973), Parker Ranch in Winter, Texas, 1939. Oil on board, 24 x 30 in. Estimate: $40/60,000
On the milestone upcoming Texas Art Auction, Dike reflects, “I am thankful for being able to make a career in a business that I have enjoyed and that I have been able to help assemble some fine Texas art collections—in addition to making some great friends.”
The 2026 sale will be conducted live by auctioneer Jason Brooks. Doors open at 9 a.m. Bidding starts promptly at 10 a.m., and will take place in-person, live online, by phone and absentee. Those at the live event will be treated to “Bubbles and Bites,” catered by Rodeo Goat.
Interested parties are encouraged to visit the gallery for a preview of the sale September 21 through October 9 during business hours. —
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