César Baldaccini Art

César Baldaccini (1921–1998), one of the most important French sculptors of the 20th century, is internationally recognized for his radical and iconic Compressions. This 1970 Compres...

This exquisite lithograph by Cesar Baldaccini (1921–1998), titled Compression dans la nuit (Compression in the Night), from the album XXe Siecle, Nouvelle serie, XXVe Annee N°22, Noel 1963, originates from the 1963 edition published by Societe Internationale d'Art XXe siecle, Paris, under the direction of Gualtieri di San Lazzaro, editeur, Paris, and printed by Mourlot Freres, Paris, 1963. Compression dans la nuit reflects Cesar’s fascination with transformation, matter, and the poetic potential of industrial materials, encapsulating his lifelong dialogue between creation and destruction. Executed as a lithograph on velin paper, this work measures 12.5 x 9.75 inches. Unsigned and unnumbered as issued. The edition exemplifies the superb craftsmanship of Mourlot Freres, Paris. Artwork Details: Artist: Cesar Baldaccini (1921–1998) Title: Compression dans la nuit (Compression in the Night), from the album XXe Siecle, Nouvelle serie, XXVe Annee N°22, Noel 1963 Medium: Lithograph on velin paper Dimensions: 12.5 x 9.75 inches (31.75 x 24.77 cm) Inscription: Unsigned and unnumbered as issued Date: 1963 Publisher: Societe Internationale d'Art XXe siecle, Paris, under the direction of Gualtieri di San Lazzaro, editeur, Paris Printer: Mourlot Freres, Paris Condition: Well preserved, consistent with age and medium Provenance: From the album XXe Siecle, Nouvelle serie, XXVe Annee N°22, Noel 1963, published by Societe Internationale d'Art XXe siecle, Paris, under the direction of Gualtieri di San Lazzaro, editeur, Paris; printed by Mourlot Freres, Paris, 1963 About the Publication: Gualtieri di San Lazzaro's XXe Siecle (Twentieth Century) was one of the most influential art journals of the modern era, founded in Paris in 1938 as a platform for the greatest painters, sculptors, and writers of the 20th century. San Lazzaro, a visionary editor, critic, and champion of modernism, believed that art and literature should coexist as expressions of a shared human imagination. Under his direction, XXe Siecle became a cultural bridge between Europe and the wider world, publishing special issues devoted to leading figures such as Picasso, Matisse, Chagall, Braque, Calder, Miro, Kandinsky, and Leger. Each edition combined essays by renowned critics and poets with original lithographs and woodcuts printed by the foremost ateliers of Paris, Milan, and New York, including Mourlot, Curwen, and Amilcare Pizzi, creating a uniquely rich dialogue between text and image. Through XXe Siecle, San Lazzaro preserved the creative spirit of the avant-garde during and after World War II, championing freedom of expression and the evolution of abstraction, surrealism, and modern thought. Over nearly four decades, the journal shaped international taste and defined the intellectual landscape of postwar art publishing. Today, XXe Siecle remains celebrated for its extraordinary synthesis of art, literature, and design, an enduring testament to Gualtieri di San Lazzaro's belief that the visual arts are the soul of the modern age. About the Artist: Cesar Baldaccini (1921–1998), known simply as Cesar, was a groundbreaking French sculptor whose radical manipulation of industrial materials redefined the language of modern sculpture and secured his place among the most influential artists of the 20th century. Born in Marseille to Italian immigrant parents, he rose from modest beginnings to international acclaim through his inventive transformation of metal, scrap, and synthetic matter into dynamic works that fused poetry with power. After studying at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Marseille and Paris, he absorbed the innovations of modern masters such as Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder, Alberto Giacometti, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, Wassily Kandinsky, Marcel Duchamp, and Man Ray. Like Picasso, Cesar sought to reinvent form through fragmentation; like Calder, he drew inspiration from the mechanics of movement; and like Duchamp, he challenged conventional definitions of art by transforming discarded materials into conceptual masterpieces. His early Fers soudes (welded iron sculptures) of the 1950s revealed his fascination with industrial detritus and the sculptural possibilities of found objects, while his Compressions of the 1960s—created by compacting automobiles and metal waste using hydraulic presses—became iconic symbols of modern industrial society’s power and fragility. These works embodied both destruction and creation, reflecting the aesthetic philosophy of the Nouveau Realisme movement, founded by Pierre Restany, of which Cesar was a central figure alongside Yves Klein, Arman, Jean Tinguely, and Niki de Saint Phalle. His Expansions of the late 1960s and 1970s, made by pouring and allowing liquid polyurethane to expand freely, introduced a radical new sculptural language of chance, energy, and transformation, blurring the boundary between control and spontaneity. With works such as Pouce (Thumb)—a monumental cast of his own thumb—Cesar turned the human form into a symbol of identity, individuality, and creative authorship, while his Human Imprints and Portraits Empreintes captured the immediacy of human presence in enduring bronze. His bold explorations of material and process anticipated later conceptual and environmental art, influencing generations of artists including John Chamberlain, Richard Serra, Anselm Kiefer, Jeff Koons, and Tony Cragg. Both a sculptural innovator and a cultural icon, Cesar designed the Cesar Award—France’s equivalent of the Academy Award—bridging avant-garde experimentation with popular recognition. His works are held in major institutions such as the Centre Pompidou (Paris), the Tate Modern (London), the Museum of Modern Art (New York), and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection (Venice), reflecting his enduring global impact. Standing alongside Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder, Alberto Giacometti, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, Wassily Kandinsky, Marcel Duchamp, and Man Ray, Cesar Baldaccini remains a towering figure of postwar modernism—a sculptor who turned compression, expansion, and transformation into metaphors of contemporary existence. His highest auction record was achieved by Compression "Ricard" (Compression Ricard) (1962), which sold for $2.41 million USD at Sotheby’s, Paris, on December 5, 2018, affirming his legacy as one of the most visionary, provocative, and collectible artists of the modern era. Cesar Baldaccini Compression dans la nuit, Cesar Compression...

César Baldaccini, CESAR Light spectrum, 1961 Original lithograph (Printed in Pons Workshop) On wove paper 31 x 24 cm (c. 12 x 10 in) Edition San Lazarro, 1961 Excellent condition

Sculpture, 1990 Handsigned by the artist in pencil Compression of capsules and wires Unique work of a series in 500 different copies Depth: 2.30 cm A modestly sized compression of ...

1970 Compression of different metals, fixed on panel Signed, dated and situated in black felt marker at the bottom left side “César 1970 Nice” Referenced in the Durand-Ruel Archives under No. 985 Unique artwork accompanied by the certificate from the Durand-Ruel Archives H. 36 cm W. 20,5 cm D. 9 cm Dimensions with panel: H. 60 cm W. 45,2 cm D. 4,8 cm His parents, Omer and Leila Baldaccini, Italian of Tuscan origin, had a bar in Marseilles, where César was born in 1921 in the popular district of la Belle-de-Mai, at No. 71 rue Loubon, in the center. “I am basically an absolute autodidact,” he says. He first worked at his father’s, before attending in 1935 the courses of the School of Fine Arts in his hometown with his classmate Raymond Normand and, in 1943, the National School of Fine Arts in Paris with Michel Guino, Albert Féraud, Daniel David and Philippe Hiquily, like him in the studio of Marcel Gimond...

Artist: Cesar Title: Automobile Compression Year: circa 1980 Medium: Lithograph, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 300; 40 AP Image Size: 30 x 22 inches; 76.2 x 55.88 cm Pape...

Acquired directly from the artist. Signed by the artist. Free shipment worldwide. César Baldaccini (1921 – 1998) is one of the great sculptors of the twentieth century. As a y...

Medium: original lithograph. Printed by the Atelier Pons and published in Paris in 1963 by San Lazzaro for the art revue XXe Siecle. Size: 12 1/8 x 9 inches (310 x 230 mm). Not signe...

This exquisite lithograph by Cesar Baldaccini (1921–1998), titled Sans titre (Untitled), from the album XXe Siecle, Nouvelle serie, XXIIe Annee, N° 16, Mai 1961, originates from the ...

The Motorbike is a contemporary artwork realized by César Baldaccini in 1972. Mixed colored screen print Hand signed and numbered on the lower margin Edition of 262/300 Includes ...

Vintage car is an original artwork realized in 1973 by César Baldaccini, better known as César. Mixed colored screen print. Signature and date in plate. ...

The 1973 original lithography "Compression de Bugatti" by César Baldaccini, more commonly known as César, is a striking piece of modern art that reflects the artist's unique approach...

Cesar Baldaccini, French (1921 - 1998) - Centaure, Hommage a Picasso, Year: 1985, Medium: Lithograph, signed and numbered in pencil, Edition: 99/99, Size: 11.75 x 15.75 in. (29.8...

Edition of 8 ex. Signed and numbered by the artist HC 1/2 This work is recorded in the Archives of Denyse Durand-Ruel under Nº 3119. César Baldaccini (1921 – 1998) is one of the g...

Lithograph, 1998 Handsigned by the artist in pencil and Dedicated "Pour Kaiki" Edition : 300 In this handsome vertical-format lithograph, César, the great innovator of modern sculpt...

Artist: César Baldaccini Title: Barcelona Year: 1992 Medium: Lithograph on Arches, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 250 Paper Size: 36 x 26 inches (60 x 90 cm) Printed in 19...

Silkscreen Handsigned by the artist in pencil and numbered 103/114 LCD4153

Publisher GKM. Unframed. Edition of 200 ex. Signed, dated and numbered. Free shipment worldwide. César Baldaccini (1921 – 1998) is one of the great sculptors of the twentieth...

César Baldaccini Original Watercolor and ink pencil on paper dedicaced and signed in red Dimensions: 27 x 26 cm Signed César Baldaccini was born in Marseille in 1921. At the age of 12, he left the school to help his father, cooper. At 15 years old, he studied at the Art college of Marseille. He took evening drawing teachings, and then was interested in sculpture until 1939. In 1942, César received a scholarship and went to Paris. He studied ten years at the School of Beaux-Arts; he worked in the studios of Gaumont and Alfred Jeanniot and was named “Grand Massier” (teacher) of this school. At that time, he was living in the same house as Alberto Giacometti. In 1944, short of resources, he went to Marseille, then return to Paris, next year. With the 50s, he made discovered his work through his first exhibitions. One of its works (« The fish ») obtained a place in the Museum of Modern Art in Paris (1955). Henceforth, he exhibited ceaselessly, participating in numerous “Salons” in France and abroad. César received numerous prices there. He got personal exhibitions everywhere (Japan, the United States, Holland, France, Italy, etc.). Important retrospectives came, later. In 1970, he was named professor a foreman to the School of Beaux-Arts in Paris. During his all life, Caesar was stimulated by « the love of the profession » and by an extraordinary will to innovate. The humor of the man did not miss and was noticed through his work. Pablo Picasso was his major reference, also Alberto Giacometti, Germaine Richier, Pablo Gargallo and Julio Gonzales...

Publisher GKM. Unframed. Edition of 200 ex. Signed, dated and numbered. Free shipment worldwide. César Baldaccini (1921 – 1998) is one of the great sculptors of the twentieth...

César - Original Lithograph 1961 Dimensions: 32 x 24 cm From the art review XXe siècle Unsigned and unnumbered as issued

César Baldaccini Original Etching Dimensions: 56.5 x 40 cm Signed and Numbered Edition of 99 It is the only original etching ever made by César. César Baldaccini was born in Marseille in 1921. At the age of 12, he left the school to help his father, cooper. At 15 years old, he studied at the Art college of Marseille. He took evening drawing teachings, and then was interested in sculpture until 1939. In 1942, César received a scholarship and went to Paris. He studied ten years at the School of Beaux-Arts; he worked in the studios of Gaumont and Alfred Jeanniot and was named “Grand Massier” (teacher) of this school. At that time, he was living in the same house as Alberto Giacometti. In 1944, short of resources, he went to Marseille, then return to Paris, next year. With the 50s, he made discovered his work through his first exhibitions. One of its works (« The fish ») obtained a place in the Museum of Modern Art in Paris (1955). Henceforth, he exhibited ceaselessly, participating in numerous “Salons” in France and abroad. César received numerous prices there. He got personal exhibitions everywhere (Japan, the United States, Holland, France, Italy, etc.). Important retrospectives came, later. In 1970, he was named professor a foreman to the School of Beaux-Arts in Paris. During his all life, Caesar was stimulated by « the love of the profession » and by an extraordinary will to innovate. The humor of the man did not miss and was noticed through his work. Pablo Picasso was his major reference, also Alberto Giacometti, Germaine Richier, Pablo Gargallo and Julio Gonzales...

César - Original Lithograph 1963 Dimensions: 32 x 24 cm From the art review XXe siècle Unsigned and unnumbered as issued

Napoléon. (Epruve d’artiste EA 1/2) Bocquel fondeur. Acquired directly from the artist. Signed by the artist. César Baldaccini (1921 – 1998) is one of the great sculptors of the twentieth century. As a young man he took a stand for art...