Al Held Art

American, 1928-2005

Alvin Jacob Held, (1928-2005) Al Held earned his slot in the annals of American contemporary art with his bold, geometric canvases that took abstraction to another level. His free-floating, interlocked cubes, and planes invited the viewer into a vertigo-inducing landscape that seemed to stretch on into infinity. "Immense architectural structures curve and slice through these complex paintings, often enmeshing themselves in cellular structures," noted the Times of London. "Viewers felt that they were exploring some mysterious universe, and Held never lost his passionate belief in abstract painting's ability to create a sublime new world." Held grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and as a teenager, missed so many days of high school that it was suggested he consider leaving altogether. He eventually earned a night-school diploma, and spent two years in the U.S. Navy. Back in New York City, he enrolled in classes at the Art Students League, and went on to study at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris in the early 1950s. The first solo exhibition of his work was staged there, in 1952 at the Galerie Huit. Held's abstract work took on a more orderly, formal tone, aided by a switch from oil to acrylic paints in 1959, and he had his first solo show in New York City that same year at the Poindexter Gallery. "Finessing the gap between Minimalism and Color Field painting," wrote New York Times journalist Ken Johnson of the next decade of Held's career, "he produced smooth, simplified works based on enlarged letters of the alphabet. And in the late '60s and '70s he made complex black-and-white pictures of sharply outlined cubes, pyramids, and other geometric shapes floating in illusory spaces of indeterminate depth." Some of Held's best-known works are those floating black and white cubes, a series he began in 1967. One of the largest, which stretches more than 90 feet in length, was installed at the Empire State Plaza in Albany, New York. In the late 1970s, in an abrupt shift, he began using color again, and the geometric shapes became so precise that they were sometimes mistaken for computer-generated art. Held considered his images not unlike those of religious art, once telling an interviewer that "historically, the priests and wise men believed that it was the artist's job to make images of heaven and hell believable, even though nobody had experienced these places," he said, according to his Chicago Tribune obituary. Held spent 20 years teaching at Yale University's. Represented by the Robert Miller Gallery in New York City, which staged what would be his last exhibition of new work in 2003, Held's works were avidly sought by contemporary-art enthusiasts around the world, and were part of the permanent collections of many institutions, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art. — Carol Brennan

Artist: Al Held

Al HeldRussell's Way, Large Colorful Geometric Abstract Etching by Al Held, 1969

$4,800

Russell's Way, Large Colorful Geometric Abstract Etching by Al Held

By Al Held

Located in Long Island City, NY

Russell’s Way by Al Held, American (1928–2005) Date: 1969 Aquatint on Somerset paper, signed, dated, and numbered in pencil verso Edition of 37/50 Image Size: 35.5 x 44.5 inches Size...

Category

1960s Abstract Geometric Al Held Art

Materials

Etching, Aquatint

Al HeldAlmost There, 1988

$2,600

Almost There

By Al Held

Located in New York, NY

Created by Al Held in 1988, Almost There is an aquatint with hard-ground etching on Somerset paper. Hand-signed, dated, and numbered from the edition of 60 in pencil on the verso, th...

Category

20th Century Abstract Geometric Al Held Art

Materials

Etching, Aquatint

Al HeldScholes II, 1991

$2,200

Scholes II

By Al Held

Located in Austin, TX

Artist: Al Held (American, 1928–2005) Title: Scholes II Year: 1991 Medium Screenprint, signed and numbered in pencil Edition Number 18/80 Print Size: 29h x 34w in. (73.66 x 86.36 cm)...

Category

1990s Hard-Edge Al Held Art

Materials

Screen

Al HeldStone Ridge #4, Abstract Geometric Etching by Al Held, 1983

$2,600

Stone Ridge #4, Abstract Geometric Etching by Al Held

By Al Held

Located in Long Island City, NY

Al Held, American (1928 - 2005) - Stone Ridge #4, Year: 1983, Medium: Etching, signed and dated in pencil on verso, Edition: 65, Size: 26.5 x 40 in. (67.31 x 101.6 cm), Publisher...

Category

1980s Abstract Al Held Art

Materials

Etching

Al HeldScholes II, Screenprint by Al Held, 1991

$2,500

Scholes II, Screenprint by Al Held

By Al Held

Located in Long Island City, NY

Artist: Al Held, American (1928 - 2005) Title: Scholes II Year: 1991 Medium: Silkscreen, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 80 Image Size: 23 x 29 inches Size: 29 x 34 in. (73.66...

Category

1990s Abstract Geometric Al Held Art

Materials

Screen

Al Held"Study for the Orlando Courthouse" Al Held, Colorful, Hard-edge, Geometric, 2005

$15,000

"Study for the Orlando Courthouse" Al Held, Colorful, Hard-edge, Geometric

By Al Held

Located in New York, NY

Al Held Study for the Orlando Courthouse, 2005 Watercolor on paper 22 x 8 3/8 inches Born in Brooklyn in 1928 to Polish immigrants, Al Held claims to have been expelled from high s...

Category

Early 2000s Abstract Geometric Al Held Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Al HeldPutu, Large Colorful Geometric Abstract Etching by Al Held, 1988

$4,800

Putu, Large Colorful Geometric Abstract Etching by Al Held

By Al Held

Located in Long Island City, NY

Putu by Al Held, American (1928–2005) Date: 1988 Aquatint Etching, signed, numbered and dated in pencil verso Edition of 16/25 Image Size: 35.5 x 44.5 inches Size: 41 in. x 53.5 in. ...

Category

1980s Abstract Geometric Al Held Art

Materials

Etching, Aquatint

Al HeldScholes I, Large Framed Geometric Abstract Screenprint by Al Held, 1991

$2,500

Scholes I, Large Framed Geometric Abstract Screenprint by Al Held

By Al Held

Located in Long Island City, NY

Artist: Al Held, American (1928 - 2005) Title: Scholes I Year: 1991 Medium: Screenprint, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 80 Image Size: 23 x 29 inches Size: 29 x 34 in. (73.66...

Category

1990s Abstract Geometric Al Held Art

Materials

Screen

Al HeldRUSSELL'S WAY, 1989

$7,500

RUSSELL'S WAY

By Al Held

Located in Three Oaks, MI

In excellent condition from an edition of 50, this piece is beautifully framed in museum-quality materials. Al Held is best remembered for his large-scale paintings of bright, hard-e...

Category

1880s Abstract Expressionist Al Held Art

Materials

Archival Paper, Etching, Aquatint

Al HeldUntitled - 20th Century Brightly Colored Print, Yellow, Red, Green + Grey Circle, 1968

$3,462

Untitled - 20th Century Brightly Colored Print, Yellow, Red, Green + Grey Circle

By Al Held

Located in Kingsclere, GB

Born in Brooklyn in 1928 to Polish immigrants, Al Held claims to have been expelled from high school in the Bronx in 1944. After serving in the U.S. Navy from 1945 to 1947, Held asso...

Category

20th Century Abstract Expressionist Al Held Art

Materials

Screen

Al HeldUntitled "D", 1961

$75,000

Untitled "D"

By Al Held

Located in London, GB

Signed and dated 'Al Held 61' (lower right) Price: $75,000 (+5% import VAT) Provenance: Robert Miller Gallery, New York (stock no.1179359 HELD-0075) Private collection, New York Private collection, New York (acquired from the above in 2012) Exhibited: New York, Queens Museum; Norfolk, Virginia, Chrysler Museum; Maine, Portland Museum of Art; Miami Beach, Bass Museum of Art; Washington, D.C., The Phillips Collection...

Category

1960s Abstract Expressionist Al Held Art

Materials

Acrylic

Al HeldScholes I, 1991

Price Upon Request

Scholes I

By Al Held

Located in New York, NY

This screenprint was created by the artist in 1991. Signed in pencil and numbered from the edition of 80 measuring 29 x 34 in. (73.7 x 86.4 cm.). Published by The Metropolitan Museu...

Category

20th Century Abstract Geometric Al Held Art

Materials

Screen

Al HeldScholes II, 1991

Price Upon Request

Scholes II

By Al Held

Located in New York, NY

This screenprint was created by the artist in 1991. Signed in pencil and numbered from the edition of 80 measuring 29 x 34 in. (73.7 x 86.4 cm.). Published by The Metropolitan Museu...

Category

20th Century Contemporary Al Held Art

Materials

Screen

Al HeldPachinko, 1989

Price Upon Request

Pachinko

By Al Held

Located in San Francisco, CA

Category

Al Held Art

Erle LoranMid Century Abstracted San Francisco Bay Line Drawing Landscape, mid 20th Century

$695

H 15 in W 18 in D 0.25 in

Mid Century Abstracted San Francisco Bay Line Drawing Landscape

By Erle Loran

Located in Soquel, CA

Bold abstract geometric landscape, an expressive black and white line drawing done in pastel, by Erle Loran (American, 1905-1999). Unsigned, but was acquired from the artist's estate. Presented in a new black mat with foam core backing. Provenance: Estate of Earle Loran; David Carlson...

Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Geometric Al Held Art

Materials

Paper, Pastel

Josef AlbersMMA-3 Variant /// Josef Albers Abstract Geometric Screenprint Color Field Theory, 1970

$2,800

H 26.44 in W 28.57 in

MMA-3 Variant /// Josef Albers Abstract Geometric Screenprint Color Field Theory

By Josef Albers

Located in Saint Augustine, FL

Artist: Josef Albers (German-American, 1888-1976) Title: "MMA-3 Variant" Series: MMA (Metropolitan Museum of Art) *Unsigned edition Year...

Category

1970s Abstract Geometric Al Held Art

Materials

Screen

Sandy LitchfieldSumac, colorful Abstract Impressionist landscape gouache, 2021

$1,000

H 14 in W 11 in

Sumac, colorful Abstract Impressionist landscape gouache

By Sandy Litchfield

Located in New York, NY

Sandy Litchfield found peace and inspiration in regular solitary walks through nature throughout the pandemic. Her most recent body of work diaristically documents her constitutional...

Category

2010s Abstract Impressionist Al Held Art

Materials

Paper, Gouache

Robyn DennyGenerations 8, 1978

$1,315

H 21 in W 28 in

Generations 8

By Robyn Denny

Located in London, GB

Etching with aquatint on watercolour wash on paper 53 x 71 cms (21 x 28 ins) Edition of 35, Set of 24 Signed, dated, and numbered 3/35 Published by Bernard Jacobson Ltd., London Prin...

Category

1970s Abstract Geometric Al Held Art

Materials

Color, Etching, Aquatint

Ellsworth KellyEllsworth Kelly, Lotus, from Derriere le Miroir, 1982, 1982

$796Sale Price|20% Off

H 15 in W 11 in

Ellsworth Kelly, Lotus, from Derriere le Miroir, 1982

By Ellsworth Kelly

Located in Southampton, NY

This exquisite lithograph by Ellsworth Kelly (1923–2015), titled Lotus, originates from the historic 1982 folio Derriere le Miroir, No. 250, Hommage a Aime et Marguerite Maeght (Trib...

Category

1980s Hard-Edge Al Held Art

Materials

Lithograph

Ellsworth KellyEllsworth Kelly, Red Form, from Revue Cahiers d'Art, 2012, 2012

$716Sale Price|20% Off

H 12.375 in W 9.5 in

Ellsworth Kelly, Red Form, from Revue Cahiers d'Art, 2012

By Ellsworth Kelly

Located in Southampton, NY

This exquisite lithograph by Ellsworth Kelly (1923–2015), titled Formulaire rouge (Red Form), originates from the 2012 publication Revue Cahiers d'Art, 2012, no. 1, Ellsworth Kelly. ...

Category

2010s Hard-Edge Al Held Art

Materials

Lithograph

Ellsworth KellyEllsworth Kelly, Yellow Shape, from Derriere le Miroir, 1958, 1958

$956Sale Price|20% Off

H 15 in W 11 in

Ellsworth Kelly, Yellow Shape, from Derriere le Miroir, 1958

By Ellsworth Kelly

Located in Southampton, NY

This exquisite lithograph by Ellsworth Kelly (1923–2015), titled Forme Jaune (Yellow Shape), originates from the historic 1958 folio Derriere le Miroir, No. 110. Published by Maeght ...

Category

1950s Hard-Edge Al Held Art

Materials

Lithograph

Ellsworth KellyEllsworth Kelly, Orange Shape, from Derriere le Miroir, 1958, 1958

$956Sale Price|20% Off

H 15 in W 11 in

Ellsworth Kelly, Orange Shape, from Derriere le Miroir, 1958

By Ellsworth Kelly

Located in Southampton, NY

This exquisite lithograph by Ellsworth Kelly (1923–2015), titled Forme Orange (Orange Shape), originates from the historic 1958 folio Derriere le Miroir, No. 110. Published by Maeght...

Category

1950s Hard-Edge Al Held Art

Materials

Lithograph

Heidi LowellOh Yosemite - Original Abstract Muted California Landscape Watercolor Painting, 2025

$575

H 22 in W 30 in

Oh Yosemite - Original Abstract Muted California Landscape Watercolor Painting

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Heidi Lowell is a multidisciplinary artist based in Austin, Texas, whose practice is deeply rooted in the earth itself. Harvesting site-specific soils and plant materials from across...

Category

2010s Abstract Al Held Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Howard HodgkinThinking Aloud in the Museum of Modern Art, Hodgkin, abstract black and white, 1979

$2,850

H 30 in W 40 in

Thinking Aloud in the Museum of Modern Art, Hodgkin, abstract black and white

By Howard Hodgkin

Located in New York, NY

Large scale black and white abstract interior scene with dots, lines, brushstrokes, paint daubs, fingerprints, squares and rectangles, and hand painting in grey. Hang in contemporary...

Category

Late 20th Century Abstract Al Held Art

Materials

Etching

Ellsworth KellyEllsworth Kelly, Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, from Derriere le Miroir, 1964, 1964

$1,356Sale Price|20% Off

H 15 in W 22 in

Ellsworth Kelly, Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, from Derriere le Miroir, 1964

By Ellsworth Kelly

Located in Southampton, NY

This exquisite lithograph by Ellsworth Kelly (1923–2015), titled Rouge, bleu, vert, jaune (Red, Blue, Green, Yellow), originates from the historic 1964 folio Derriere le Miroir, No. ...

Category

1960s Hard-Edge Al Held Art

Materials

Lithograph

Shizico YiOriginal drawing-frame included-Golden Summer- British Awarded Artist-expression, 2023

$624

H 16.54 in W 11.82 in D 0.04 in

Original drawing-frame included-Golden Summer- British Awarded Artist-expression

Located in London, GB

Shizico spent three days painting this plein air in her sunlit garden. She applied 550 Ture Gold paint and Van Gogh Yellow creating a stunning backdrop which served as the canvas for...

Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Al Held Art

Materials

Gold

Previously Available Items

Al HeldUntitled (Cubes), 1969

Sold

H 41.5 in W 31.5 in D 1.25 in

Untitled (Cubes)

By Al Held

Located in Astoria, NY

Al Held (American, 1928-2005), Untitled (Cubes), Lithograph on Strathmore Paper, 1969, signed in pencil and numbered edition "67 / 100" to verso, Strathmore blindstamp lower right co...

Category

1960s Post-Modern Al Held Art

Materials

Paper, Lithograph

Al HeldCamerata XVI, 1989

Sold

H 18 in W 23.75 in

Camerata XVI

By Al Held

Located in Toronto, Ontario

Al Held (1928-2005) was one of the most prominent and successful American artists. associated with the hard-edge painting. He was a pioneer in the evolution of abstraction and redefi...

Category

1980s Abstract Geometric Al Held Art

Materials

Watercolor

Al HeldScholes I, 1991

Sold

H 40 in W 45.5 in

Scholes I

By Al Held

Located in Long Island City, NY

Artist: Al Held, American (1928 - 2005) Title: Scholes I Year: 1991 Medium: Silkscreen, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 80 Image Size: 23 x 29 inches Size: 29 x 34 in. (73.66 ...

Category

1990s Abstract Geometric Al Held Art

Materials

Screen

Al HeldRussell's Way, 1989

Sold

H 35.25 in W 44.5 in

Russell's Way

By Al Held

Located in New York, NY

Al Held Russell's Way, 1989 color aquatint on Somerset paper 35.25h x 44.50w in

Category

1980s Abstract Geometric Al Held Art

Materials

Etching

Al HeldLiv, Large Colorful Geometric Abstract by Al Held, 1992

Sold

H 41 in W 54 in

Liv, Large Colorful Geometric Abstract by Al Held

By Al Held

Located in Long Island City, NY

Artist: Al Held, American (1928 - 2005) Title: Liv Year: 1992 Medium: Etching with aquatint on paper, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 16/30 Image Size: 35.5 x 44.5 inches Size...

Category

1990s Abstract Geometric Al Held Art

Materials

Etching, Aquatint

Al HeldScholes, 1, 1991

Sold

H 23 in W 29 in

Scholes, 1

By Al Held

Located in Fairlawn, OH

Signed and numbered in pencil by the artist lower right Edition: 80 (3/80) Published by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Mezzanine Gallery, New York, with their blindstamp lower...

Category

1990s Abstract Geometric Al Held Art

Materials

Screen

Al HeldScholes II, 1991

Sold

H 29 in W 34 in D 2 in

Scholes II

By Al Held

Located in Fairlawn, OH

Signed and numbered in pencil by the artist lower right Edition: 80 (3/80) Published by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Mezzanine Gallery, New York, with their blindstamp lower...

Category

1990s Abstract Geometric Al Held Art

Materials

Screen

Al HeldStone Ridge #1, 1983

Sold

H 32 in W 45 in D 1 in

Stone Ridge #1

By Al Held

Located in Austin, TX

Artist: Al Held Title: Stone Ridge #1 Year: 1983 Medium: Color etching Edition number 53/65 numbered on verso. Signed on verso "Al Held 83 53/65 AH.106.A" ...

Category

1980s Abstract Al Held Art

Materials

Etching

Al HeldMagenta, 1990

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H 48 in W 61 in D 3 in

Magenta

By Al Held

Located in Austin, TX

Artist: Al Held Title: Magenta Year: 1990 Medium: Color aquatint with spit bite aquatint Edition: 37/50 Signed, dated, and numbered verso Dimension: image: 35.5"h x 44.75"w, sheet: 4...

Category

1990s Abstract Expressionist Al Held Art

Materials

Aquatint

Al HeldIndigo, 1990

Sold

H 48 in W 61 in D 3 in

Indigo

By Al Held

Located in Austin, TX

Artist: Al Held (American, 1928-2005) Title: "Indigo" Year: 1990 Medium: Color aquatint with spit bite aquatint Signed, dated, and numbered verso Edition 32/50 Dimensions: image: 35....

Category

1990s Abstract Expressionist Al Held Art

Materials

Aquatint

Al HeldStone Ridge #4, 1983

Sold

H 32 in W 45 in D 1 in

Stone Ridge #4

By Al Held

Located in Austin, TX

Artist: Al Held Title: Stone Ridge #4 Year: 1983 Medium: Color etching Edition number 53/65 numbered on verso. Signed on verso "Al Held 83 53/65 AH.106.A" ...

Category

1980s Abstract Al Held Art

Materials

Etching

Al HeldLiv, 1992

Sold

H 40.5 in W 54 in

Liv

By Al Held

Located in New York, NY

1992, color hardground etching with aquatint, 40 1/2 x 54 inches (102.9 x 137.2 cm), edition of 30, signed, numbered, and dated on reverse

Category

1990s Abstract Geometric Al Held Art

Materials

Etching, Aquatint

Al Held art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Al Held 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 orange, blue, red and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Al Held in paint, screen print, acrylic paint and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the abstract style. Not every interior allows for large Al Held art, so small editions measuring 22 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Theodoros Stamos, Peter Voulkos, and Friedel Dzubas. Al Held art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $2,000 and tops out at $100,000, while the average work can sell for $5,565.