Abstract Expressionist Alfonso Ossorio grappled with themes of childhood, birth, sexuality, mythology and religion in his vivid art. Before becoming close friends with artists Jackson Pollock, Lee Krasner and Jean Dubuffet, he inherited a sugar fortune and amassed an art collection that became part of the Fogg Museum at Harvard University. It includes works by artist Thomas Derrick, sculptor Eric Gill, wood engraver Philip Hagreen, illustrator Denis Tegetmeier and artist and poet David Jones.
Born in 1916, Ossorio grew up in Manila in the Philippines. He later attended a Catholic boarding school in England and settled in the United States in 1930. He enrolled at Harvard in 1934 and, in 1937, launched an art career with cover designs for publications of work by poet Arthur Rimbaud. He received a bachelor’s degree in 1938 and complemented his art history studies with studio art classes at the Rhode Island School of Design. After his first solo exhibition at the Wakefield Gallery in 1941, Ossorio served the American Armed Forces until 1946. He met his lifelong partner, Ted Dragon, in 1948, as well as Pollock who guided his exploration of Abstract Expressionism.
Ossorio’s major works included a mural commissioned for the Chapel of St. Joseph the Worker in the Philippines. His return to his home country fueled a search inwards as a source of inspiration.
Ossorio bought an East Hampton, New York, estate, known as the Creeks, in which he housed Dubuffet’s entire Compagnie de l’Art Brut collection. By the late 1950s, Ossorio was heavily involved in curating and organizing exhibitions including shows featuring Pollock, Dubuffet, Willem de Kooning, Hans Hofmann, Mark Rothko and David Smith.
In the 1960s, Ossorio created his best known works. These “congregations,” as he called them, are assemblage sculptures of shells, pearls, feathers and driftwood playing on the connections between life and decay, and the raw and the refined.
Ossorio’s art is in collections around the world, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art. International exhibitions featuring his work have been held at the National Gallery of Modern Art in Scotland and the National Museum of Modern Art in Japan as well as the L’Art Brut Museum in Switzerland and the 2019 Singapore Biennale.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of Alfonso Ossorio prints and multiples.
Untitled VI, Abstract Etching by Alfonso Ossorio
By Alfonso Ossorio
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Alfonso Ossorio (Filipino, 1916-1990) Title: Untitled VII Year: 1984 Medium: Etching, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: PP Image Size: 24 x 17.75 inches Paper Size...
Etching
Amordie, Abstract Expressionist Etching by Alfonso Ossorio
By Alfonso Ossorio
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Alfonso Ossorio (Filipino, 1916-1990) Title: Amordie Year: 1983 Medium: Etching, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 36 Image Size: 11 x 7 inches Paper Size: 18 x 12 in. ...
Etching
Untitled VII, Abstract Expressionist Etching by Alfonso Ossorio
By Alfonso Ossorio
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Alfonso Ossorio (Filipino, 1916-1990) Title: Untitled VII Year: 1984/1990 Medium: Etching, signed in pencil Edition: P.P. Image Size: 23.5 x 17.75 inches Paper Size: 30.75 x ...
Etching
Red Sea I
By Robert Motherwell
Located in New York, NY
A very good impression of this color aquatint and lift-ground etching and aquatint on Arches Cover paper. Signed and numbered 15/100 by Motherwell. There are 20 artist proofs, number...
Etching, Aquatint
Baby, Baby
By Louisa Chase
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Baby, Baby Etching & aquatint printed in colors, 1991 Signed, dated, titled & numbered in pencil (see photos) Edition: 35 (4/35) plus 10 AP Condition: Excellent, colors fresh Image/...
Aquatint
Untitled
By Henri Goetz
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Untitled Signed in pencil lower right (see photo) Edition: 25 (9/25) (see photo) Engraving, drypoint & carborundum Printed by the artist Condition: Excellent, slight residue on rever...
Drypoint, Etching
$8,563
H 35.12 in W 26.82 in D 1.58 in
Incredible framed artwork by contemporary artist (after Rembrandt) monochrome
By Glenn Brown
Located in London, GB
This is a truly stunning work by contemporary great, Glenn Brown. This work is an Artist Proof, one of only 12 created. The frame is handmade by famous London framers, Darbyshire. I...
Paper, Etching
Unstable Woman
By Stanley William Hayter
Located in New York, NY
A superb impression of this color engraving, soft-ground etching, scorper and screenprint on Japan paper. Fifth state (of 5). Signed, titled, dated and numbered 1/50 in pencil, lower...
Color, Engraving, Etching, Screen
$2,800
H 15.5 in W 11.5 in D 0.5 in
Torero (de-accessioned from the Denver Art Museum) Engraving Signed 17/30 Framed
By Stanley William Hayter
Located in New York, NY
Stanley William Hayter Torero (de-accessioned from the Denver Art Museum), 1929-1933 Engraving on laid paper, third (final) state, on heavy BFK Rives...
Engraving, Etching
The Razor's Edge
By Robert Motherwell
Located in New York, NY
A superb impression of this scarce color aquatint and lift-ground etching on German Etching paper. Signed and numbered 27/36 in pencil, lower right. Printed by Catherine Mousley in t...
Color, Etching, Aquatint
$4,500
H 14 in W 17 in D 1.25 in
Thomas Nozkowski - etching aquatint on Hahnemühle paper Signed/N ex-Deutsch Bank
By Thomas Nozkowski
Located in New York, NY
Thomas Nozkowski Untitled #2, 2008 Color etching with aquatint on Hahnemühle paper Signed and numbered 5/35 in graphite on the back. Die cut window flap on the back of the frame reve...
Etching, Aquatint
Untitled
By Sam Francis
Located in London, GB
74.6 x 43.2 cms (29 3/8 x 17 ins) Edition of 30 Plate: 60.3 x 25.1 cm (23 3/4 x 9 7/8 ins), Sheet: 74.6 x 43.2 cm (29 3/8 x 17 ins) Paper: Somerset Textured Edition of 30 Proofs: I BAT, 3 AP, 3 CTP Signed right, under image, numbered left, under image; publisher's chop lower right. Publisher: The Litho Shop, Inc., Santa Monica, California Printed by Jacob Samuel...
Aquatint, Color, Etching
$25,000
H 23 in W 31 in D 2 in
Pull Out All Flags, iconic Abstract Expressionist etching aquatint, SIgned 33/50
By Robert Motherwell
Located in New York, NY
Robert Motherwell Pull Out All Flags (Engberg, Banach 263), 1980 Aquatint and etching in colors, on German Etching paper, with full margins Hand-signed by artist, Pencil signed and n...
Etching, Aquatint
Oiseau Entre deux Astres
By Joan Miró
Located in New York, NY
A very good impression of this color aquatint, etching and carborundum. Signed and numbered 27/75 in pencil by Miro. Printed and published by Maeght, Paris. Catalogue reference: Du...
Color, Etching, Aquatint
Purple Stripe
By Louise Nevelson
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Caviar20 is excited to be offering this evocative print by the inimitable Louise Nevelson - one of the most revered and unique sculptors of the 20th century. Nevelson is renowned for her mysterious and complex artworks. She was an active printmaker, experimenting with different techniques and approaches while working with some of the best print-making studios in the United States and Italy. Many of the leading, ground-breaking American abstract artists experienced success in post-war Europe. Nevelson was notably well-embraced in Italy arguably because of parallels to Arte Povera in her work. She had an important and enduring connection to Italy, beginning with representing America at the Venice Biennale in 1962. Nevelson would then exhibit at the legendary Studio Marconi in Milan during the succeeding decades. This fruitful relationship led Nevelson to start working with Italian printmakers during the 1970s. This impressive aquatint is a paradigm of both the era and Nevelson's later printmaking, notable for its use of metallic elements, color, and collage. This work features unexpected shades of magenta, lime green, and rust, which punctuate her signature monochromatic black forms that sweep the surface of the page creating an intriguing architectural form. This work is an example from Nevelson's 1973 portfolio, "Aquatints Portfolio (B. 116)" which comprised six aquatints with metallic elements. Click here to see another example from this body of work. Over the last few years, there has been tremendous momentum in both interest and appreciation of Nevelson's work. In May of 2021, a new auction record of $1.35 million was established for one of Nevelson's signature white construction sculptures...
Etching, Aquatint
Abstract Expressionist etching by Alphonso Ossorio
By Alfonso Ossorio
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Alfonso Ossorio (Filipino, 1916-1990) Title: Quem Quaeritis Year: 1984 Medium: Etching, signed in pencil Edition: 20/36 Image Size: 23.5 x 17.5 inches Paper Size: 31 x 24 inches
Etching
Abstract Expressionist etching by Alphonso Ossorio
By Alfonso Ossorio
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Alfonso Ossorio (Filipino, 1916-1990) Title: Quod, dixi, dixi Year: 1984 Medium: Etching, signed in pencil Edition: P.P. Image Size: 23.5 x 17.5 inches Paper Size: 31 x 21 in...
Etching
Untitled IV
By Alfonso Ossorio
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Alfonso Ossorio (Filipino, 1916-1990) Title: Untitled IV Year: 1984 Medium: Etching, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: PP Image Size: 8 inches in diameter Paper Si...
Etching
Untitled III, Abstract Print by Alfonso Ossorio
By Alfonso Ossorio
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Alfonso Ossorio (Filipino, 1916-1990) Title: Untitled III Year: 1984 Medium: Etching, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: PP Image Size: 24 x 17.5 inches Paper Size:...
Etching