R.B. Kitaj Art

Born Ronald Brooks Kitaj in Cleveland, Ohio, to an American family with Viennese and Russian-Jewish heritage, R.B. Kitaj (1932-2007) is widely regarded as one of the most erudite and iconographically complex artists of the last half-century; he is subsequently considered to be a key figure in the canon of European and American art. His expressive, figurative works combine aspects of contemporary life with art historical and socio-political references, sexuality,self-analysis and Judeo-Christian mysticism embedded in the early 20th-century literature of Franz Kafka and Walter Benjamin. While his work has occasionally been considered controversial, he is undeniably viewed as a master draughtsman with a commitment to figurative art. His highly personal paintings, prints and drawings reflect his deep interest in history; cultural, social and political ideologies; and issues of identity. As a child, attended art classes at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Following his studies at Cooper Union in New York and the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna, he spent two years in Europe serving for the United States Army. He then continued his studies at the Ruskin School of Art, Oxford University, and at the Royal College of Art in London. He enrolled at the latter in 1959, where he became a close friend of David Hockney, Patrick Caulfield and Allen Jones, he was inititally identified as a pioneer of Pop Art, before recontextualising himself as a School of London painter alongside admired contemporaries that included Auerbach, Bacon, Freud and Kossoff. Kitaj remained in in London for 40 years, until 1997 when he moved to Los Angeles. He died at his home there in 2007, one week before his 75th birthday. Despite his early association with Pop Art, Kitaj had limited interest in the culture of mass media and instead works from pictorial and literary sources. Renowned for his use of intellectually stimulating historical references, Kitaj's work was often inspired by late 19th-century French art and by his Jewish identity. His paintings and prints add up to an extraordinary body of work; the latter function as an illustrated journal of an artist's life, characterized by a quest for new subject matter and innovative ways to depict it. R.B. Kitaj remains one of the most influential artists since the late 1950's and continues to link personal history with contemporary art through his unique vision.

Artist: R.B. Kitaj

R.B. KitajR B Kitaj, Portrtait of Joel Grey, c. 1982, London/Los Angeles artist, 1982

$15,000

R B Kitaj, Portrtait of Joel Grey, c. 1982, London/Los Angeles artist

By R.B. Kitaj

Located in Fairlawn, OH

Ronald Brooks Kitaj (1932-2007) Joel 50 yrs! (Portrait of Joel Grey, the actor) charcoal on cream handmade paper Signed lower right in a heart shaped cartouche: "Kitaj" (see photo) A...

Category

1980s Contemporary R.B. Kitaj Art

Materials

Charcoal

R.B. KitajBaghdad Screen Print by Kitaj, Contemporary, Signed AP, 1972, 1972

$1,200Sale Price|20% Off

Baghdad Screen Print by Kitaj, Contemporary, Signed AP, 1972

By R.B. Kitaj

Located in Brooklyn, NY

Six color screen-print and photo-screenprint. Signed and numbered AP in pencil by Kitaj in the top right corner. Printed at Kelpra Studio, London and published by Marlborough Graphi...

Category

1970s Contemporary R.B. Kitaj Art

Materials

Screen

R.B. KitajCap'n A.B. Dick (B) Pale pink and raspberry sailor's portrait drawing R.B. Kitaj, 1975

$1,200

Cap'n A.B. Dick (B) Pale pink and raspberry sailor's portrait drawing R.B. Kitaj

By R.B. Kitaj

Located in New York, NY

Kitaj’s drawing on pink paper is of a man in profile, wearing a sou’wester: a fisherman’s collapsible rain hat. The image is a wry portrait, ostensibly of Albert Blake...

Category

1970s Realist R.B. Kitaj Art

Materials

Lithograph

R.B. KitajPerforming Arts Center, Modern Art Screenprint by RB Kitaj, 1983

$1,800

Performing Arts Center, Modern Art Screenprint by RB Kitaj

By R.B. Kitaj

Located in Long Island City, NY

This print by R.B. Kitaj is part of an 8-piece portfolio published by The New York Graphic Society in 1983 and includes works from Red Grooms, Robert Indiana, Alex Katz, R.B. Kitaj, ...

Category

1980s Modern R.B. Kitaj Art

Materials

Screen

Steve McCurryAfghan Girl iconic poster: Sharbat Gula, Pakistan (Hand Signed by Steve McCurry), 1984

$795

H 24 in W 20 in

Afghan Girl iconic poster: Sharbat Gula, Pakistan (Hand Signed by Steve McCurry)

By Steve McCurry

Located in New York, NY

Steve McCurry Sharbat Gula, Afghan Girl, Pakistan (Hand Signed), 1984 Offset Lithograph poster Hand signed by the photographer in black felt pen on the front 24 × 20 inches Unframed...

Category

1980s Realist R.B. Kitaj Art

Materials

Felt Pen, Lithograph, Offset

Francisca AhlersEllas Y Sus Caprichos - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Drawing, Charcoal, 2021

$10,368

H 21.66 in W 49.22 in

Ellas Y Sus Caprichos - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Drawing, Charcoal

By Francisca Ahlers

Located in Barcelona, Catalonia

Years of collecting books, travel archives and studying art in Europe, went hand in hand with visiting historical monuments and grand palaces, remnan...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary R.B. Kitaj Art

Materials

Canvas, Charcoal, Acrylic

Elizabeth CatlettVENDEDORA Signed Lithograph, Portrait Seated Young Girl, Mexican Fruit Seller, 2001

$3,650

H 31.25 in W 27.75 in

VENDEDORA Signed Lithograph, Portrait Seated Young Girl, Mexican Fruit Seller

By Elizabeth Catlett

Located in Union City, NJ

VENDEDORA, a limited edition lithograph by the renowned American-born Mexican sculptor and printmaker Elizabeth Catlett(b.1915–2012) depicts a sensitive black and white portrait of a...

Category

Early 2000s Realist R.B. Kitaj Art

Materials

Lithograph

Raphael SoyerNURSING MOTHER, Signed Lithograph, Motherhood, Social Realism, Breastfeeding Art, 1979

$500

H 29.5 in W 21.5 in

NURSING MOTHER, Signed Lithograph, Motherhood, Social Realism, Breastfeeding Art

By Raphael Soyer

Located in Union City, NJ

Raphael Soyer NURSING MOTHER, BLUE SKIRT is an original hand drawn (not digitally or photo reproduced) limited edition lithograph by the artist Raphael ...

Category

1970s Realist R.B. Kitaj Art

Materials

Lithograph

Bob Gruen"John Lennon, Fillmore East, NYC, August 1972" Bob Gruen, 2024

$750

H 22.5 in W 16 in

"John Lennon, Fillmore East, NYC, August 1972" Bob Gruen

By Bob Gruen

Located in North Adams, MA

In 1972, John Lennon and Yoko Ono conceived a concert at Madison Garden called “One to One.” It was a benefit for the Willowbrook State School in Staten Island, a facility for mental...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary R.B. Kitaj Art

Materials

Screen

Jay Batlle"The Odeon", 2014

$300

H 30 in W 22 in

"The Odeon"

By Jay Batlle

Located in North Adams, MA

A skilled chef as well as an artist, Jay Batlle treats his art much like a recipe, with careful preparation and a methodical process. His layered compositions often incorporate image...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary R.B. Kitaj Art

Materials

Screen

Ming WaiLittle Chinese Girl, 1982

$400

H 28 in W 24.5 in D 0.01 in

Little Chinese Girl

By Ming Wai

Located in San Francisco, CA

This artwork "Little Chinese Girl" 1982 in a color off set lithograph by renown Chinese/American artist Wai Ming A.K.A Lo Hing Kwok, b.1938. It is hand signed an inscribed A.C (Hors Commerce) in pencil by the artist. The image size is 24.5 x 22 inches, sheet size is 28 x 24.5 inches. It is in excellent condition, has never been framed. About the artist: Wai Ming, was born in Canton, South China on November 11, 1938, the son of a school master with nine children. Extremely poor as a child, he was raised in Hong Kong enduring many hardships amidst a chaotic environment of war and refugee settlements. Wai Ming's love for art flourished and he developed his drawing techniques without any art education, just painting what he saw. In the 1960s, Ming found representation in Hong Kong and also took the unusual step of opening his own gallery to display his work in. His primary interest being to capture images of life in fishing villages, or 'fish-folk', who have retained traditional Chinese culture, his work was at home with the sensibilities of many art buyers in Hong Kong. Crossing the ocean in his mid-30s, Wai Ming arrived in San Francisco from Hong Kong in 1974. There, he experienced initial resistance from galleries and the official art world for a variety of reasons, but was ultimately embraced by dealer Jack Swanson...

Category

Late 20th Century Realist R.B. Kitaj Art

Materials

Lithograph

Norman RockwellTHE FOUR SEASONS 4 Lithographs on Arches paper, American Illustration, Americana, 1974

$3,895

H 20.5 in W 19.25 in

THE FOUR SEASONS 4 Lithographs on Arches paper, American Illustration, Americana

By Norman Rockwell

Located in Union City, NJ

Artist: Norman Rockwell, American (1894 - 1978) Title: The Four Seasons: SPRING, SUMMER, AUTUMN, WINTER Medium: Lithograph on Arches paper, 100% acid free Paper Size: 20.5 x 19.25 in...

Category

1970s Realist R.B. Kitaj Art

Materials

Lithograph

Rosanna GaddoniA Midsummer Noon - 21st Century Contemporary Charcoal Drawing of a Sheep, 2025

$4,309

H 19.69 in W 25.6 in D 0.08 in

A Midsummer Noon - 21st Century Contemporary Charcoal Drawing of a Sheep

By Rosanna Gaddoni

Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant

Rosanna Gaddoni (Italian artist) A Midsummer Noon 50 x 65 cm ( framed in wood frame with museum glass) Measurement with included frame: 59 x 74 x 3 cm Charcoal on Paper The Italian ...

Category

2010s Contemporary R.B. Kitaj Art

Materials

Paper, Charcoal

Patrick NagelPatrick Nagel 'Commemorative #11' Serigraph Print, 1987, 1987

$500

H 36 in W 24 in

Patrick Nagel 'Commemorative #11' Serigraph Print, 1987

By Patrick Nagel

Located in San Rafael, CA

'Nagel Commemorative Eleven' (NC 11), 1987 Serigraph on 100% cotton archival grade heavyweight rag paper Published by Mirage Editions, a limited run edition, signed in plate Printed ...

Category

1980s Contemporary R.B. Kitaj Art

Materials

Screen

Raphael SoyerSelf-portrait, lithograph on wove paper, pencil signed 7/250, unframed realism, 1980

$385

H 22 in W 16 in

Self-portrait, lithograph on wove paper, pencil signed 7/250, unframed realism

By Raphael Soyer

Located in New York, NY

Raphael Soyer Self-portrait, 1980 Lithograph on wove paper Hand-signed by artist, Pencil signed and numbered 7/250 on the front Titled "Self portrait" on the verso Bears publisher's ...

Category

1980s Realist R.B. Kitaj Art

Materials

Lithograph

Rosanna GaddoniStory of a sheep - 21st Century Contemporary Charcoal Drawing of a sheep, 2025

$3,658

H 25.6 in W 19.69 in D 0.08 in

Story of a sheep - 21st Century Contemporary Charcoal Drawing of a sheep

By Rosanna Gaddoni

Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant

Rosanna Gaddoni (Italian artist) Story of a sheep 65 x 50 cm ( framed in wood frame with museum glass) Measurement with included frame: 76 x 60 x 3 cm Charcoal on Paper The Italian ...

Category

2010s Contemporary R.B. Kitaj Art

Materials

Paper, Charcoal

Previously Available Items

R.B. KitajFemme de Peuple II (hand signed and inscribed to poet Robert Duncan), 1978

Sold

H 36 in W 6 in

Femme de Peuple II (hand signed and inscribed to poet Robert Duncan)

By R.B. Kitaj

Located in New York, NY

R. B. Kitaj Femme de Peuple II (hand signed and inscribed to poet Robert Duncan), 1978 Offset Lithograph (hand signed and inscribed to poet Robert Duncan) Hand signed and inscribed o...

Category

1970s Pop Art R.B. Kitaj Art

Materials

Graphite, Lithograph, Offset

R.b. Kitaj art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic R.B. Kitaj art available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of art to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of pink, purple and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by R.B. Kitaj in screen print, mixed media, lithograph and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the Pop Art style. Not every interior allows for large R.B. Kitaj art, so small editions measuring 14 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Peter Phillips, Patrick Nagel, and Clemens Briels. R.B. Kitaj art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $800 and tops out at $4,000, while the average work can sell for $1,450.