Alex KatzDay Lily II1969
1969
About the Item
- Creator:Alex Katz (1927, American)
- Creation Year:1969
- Dimensions:Height: 20.625 in (52.39 cm)Width: 27.75 in (70.49 cm)
- Medium:
- Period:
- Framing:Framing Options Available
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU55414400062
Alex Katz
Flat color and minimal forms contrast the often monumental scales of the paintings by Alex Katz through which he creates portraits and landscapes of deceptive simplicity. Although the signature stark style that defines his prints and other work is now recognizable at a glance, it took him a decade to develop. During that time, he has said he destroyed hundreds of paintings.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, to Russian émigré parents, Katz’s family moved to Queens when he was a baby and that is where his family’s passion for the arts supported his early creative interests. In 1946, he enrolled at the Cooper Union in Manhattan where he studied painting under Morris Kantor. While he was influenced by the bold colors and hard edges of modernism, he shifted away from the then-dominant Abstract Expressionism movement to figurative scenes of life that have an inherent cool in their pared-down approach. Especially impactful were Katz’s summer studies between 1949 and 1950 at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine, a place where, as he later wrote: “I tried plein air painting and found my subject matter and a reason to devote my life to painting.”
Katz’s first solo show was in 1954 at Roko Gallery in New York. He experimented over the course of the following years with collage and painting on aluminum sheets, with his work in the 1960s drawing inspiration from film and advertising. In the 1970s, Katz expanded into portrait groups that regularly depicted the cultural scene of New York; in the 1980s, he extended his focus to fashion and its supermodels. Since the late 1950s, an enduring muse for his portraits has been his wife, Ada, while others have painted friends and famous figures. The intimate closeness of the frequently cropped faces in Katz’s portraits exudes a sense of tension with the subjects’ enigmatic expressions and planes of color.
In the 1960s, Katz collaborated with American dancer and choreographer Paul Taylor on sets and costumes. His concentration on landscapes emerged in the late 1980s, with atmospheric night views joining his practice, which had previously been defined by bright colors. Always finding new perspectives on his work, he has explored using iPhone photographs as the basis for large-scale compositions in recent years.
Katz’s prolific career has spanned sculpture, prints and public art along with his paintings and drawings, and his works can be found in the collections of leading museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Whitney Museum of American Art and Museum of Modern Art. He has had over 250 solo exhibitions around the world and continues to be acclaimed. In 2022, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum opened a major retrospective of his art.
Find Alex Katz art today on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: New York, NY
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Brooklyn BridgeBy Richard BosmanLocated in New York, NYAn exquisitely printed image created by Richard Bosman in 1996, the artist’s iconic Brooklyn Bridge is a woodcut on Mulberry paper. Measuring 18 ¼ 24 ¼ in. (46.4 x 61.6 cm), unframed...Category
20th Century Neo-Expressionist Landscape Prints
MaterialsWoodcut
- Autumn 4By Alex KatzLocated in New York, NYAn artwork of understated elegance, Autumn 4, by Alex Katz was created by the artist in 2023, is hand-signed and numbered in pencil measuring 66 x 36 inches (168 x 91 cm), unframed, ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Landscape Prints
MaterialsArchival Pigment
- Autumn 1By Alex KatzLocated in New York, NYAn artwork of understated elegance, Autumn 1, by Alex Katz was created by the artist in 2023, is hand-signed and numbered in pencil measuring 58 x 58 in. (147 x 147 cm), unframed, fr...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Landscape Prints
MaterialsScreen
- The Gates (c), from the Project for Central ParkBy Christo and Jeanne-ClaudeLocated in New York, NYThis offset lithograph in colors from the Project for Central Park, New York City, was created by the artist in 2004. One of 300 hand-signed by the artist in pencil from an unnumbere...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Landscape Prints
MaterialsLithograph
- Wrapped Fountain, BarcelonaBy Christo and Jeanne-ClaudeLocated in New York, NYThis lithograph with collage was created in 1979/2009. From the signed and numbered edition of 200 measuring 22 x 28 in. (55.9 x 71.1 cm.). Available for local pick up from Michael L...Category
20th Century Contemporary Landscape Prints
MaterialsLithograph
- The Gates (e), Project for Central ParkBy Christo and Jeanne-ClaudeLocated in New York, NYThis offset lithograph in colors on wove paper from the Project for Central Park, New York City, was created by the artist in 2005. One of 300 hand-signed (in pencil) prints from an ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Landscape Prints
MaterialsLithograph
- Islamic Tower - Original Lithograph by Gustavo Francalancia - 1970sBy Gustavo FrancalanciaLocated in Roma, ITHand signed and numbered by artist with pencil. Edition of 25 prints in Roman Numerals plus artist's proof. Very good conditions.Category
1970s Figurative Prints
MaterialsLithograph
- Royal Palace in Genoa - Lithograph - 19th CenturyLocated in Roma, ITRoyal Palace in Genoa is a lithograph on paper realized in the 19th Century. The artwork is represented in a well-balanced composition with strong strokes. Very good condition.Category
19th Century Modern Figurative Prints
MaterialsLithograph
- Landscape of the River - Original Lithograph by Jean Chapin - Early 1900By Jean ChapinLocated in Roma, ITLandscape of the River is an original lithograph realized by Jean Chapin in the XX century. Signature stamp of the artist on the lower left margin. Image dimension: 25 x 43 cm. ...Category
Early 20th Century Figurative Prints
MaterialsLithograph
- The Sea - Original Lithograph by Sandro Sanna - 1969By Sandro SannaLocated in Roma, ITThe Sea is an original lithograph by Sandro Sanna in 1969. Hand-signed and dated on the lower right. Edition: 79/100. In excellent conditions: as good as new. The artwork represe...Category
1960s Landscape Prints
MaterialsLithograph
- View of Oran - Original Lithograph - 1846Located in Roma, ITView of Oran is an original Hand-colored lithograph on paper realized in 1846 by an Anonymous artist of the XIX century. Titled in Italian on the lower center "Oran". The state of...Category
1840s Old Masters Figurative Prints
MaterialsLithograph
- Ancient View of Innsbruck - Original Lithograph on Paper - Mid-19th CenturyLocated in Roma, ITAncient View of Innsbruck is an original modern artwork realized in the first half of the 19th Century. Original B/W Lithograph on Ivory Paper. Inscripted on the lower margin: In...Category
1850s Modern Figurative Prints
MaterialsLithograph