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Milton Avery Prints and Multiples

American, 1885-1965

Milton Clark Avery was born in 1885 in Altmar, New York. Largely self-taught, Avery is today regarded as one of the great early modern American artists; his inspired palette, simplified forms and unwavering commitment to a figurative tradition have secured him a place not only in the canon but also in the hearts of the American public.

Always at odds with the dominant style of the time, be it the American Scene Painting and Social Realism of the 1930s and '40s or the Abstract Expressionism of the 1950s, Avery's oeuvre is a labor of singular dedication. As a boy, Avery worked factory jobs to help support his large family following their move to Connecticut in 1898. He did not seriously begin to pursue art until sometime following his father's death in 1905, when he intermittently attended classes at the Connecticut League of Art Students. He made his artistic debut in 1915 at the Wadsworth Atheneum's Fifth Annual Exhibition of Oil Painting and Sculpture.

In 1925 Avery relocated to New York to be closer to his future bride. Following his marriage in 1926 he was able to quit working and paint full time. At this time Avery replaced the light-drenched palette of his Hartford days with more muted tones. He also exchanged his heavy impasto for thin washes of pigment, which he used to create veiled fields of color.

In 1927 Avery exhibited with the Society of Independent Artists. Success quickly followed. Two of his paintings were selected for inclusion in a 1928 group show at the Opportunity Gallery in New York. Also in 1928, renowned collector Louis Kaufman became the first person to purchase a painting by the artist; and in 1929 Duncan Phillips purchased Winter Riders (1929) for the Phillips Memorial Gallery, making it Avery's first painting to enter a museum collection.

Avery's signature figurative style characterized by simple forms and flattened shapes filled with arbitrary color "in the manner of Matisse" was fully developed by the 1940s. His work as a colorist greatly influenced succeeding generations of artists, specifically Color Field painters Mark Rothko, Barnett Newman, and Adolph Gottlieb. In 1944 he was given his first solo museum exhibition at the Phillips Memorial Gallery. That same year, he entered into a contract with famed dealer Paul Rosenberg, in which Rosenberg agreed to purchase 25 of Avery's paintings twice a year.

In 1952 the Baltimore Museum of Art hosted Avery's first museum retrospective, and Avery was the subject of a major article in Arts magazine by eminent art critic Clement Greenberg. In 1960 the Whitney Museum of American Art hosted his second museum retrospective.

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(Biography provided by Helicline Fine Art)

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Artist: Milton Avery
original lithograph
By Milton Avery
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: original lithograph. This lithograph was printed in 1953 for the "Improvisations" portfolio, published by the Artists Equity Association of New York on the occasion of the 19...
Category

1950s Milton Avery Prints and Multiples

Materials

Lithograph

original lithograph
By Milton Avery
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: original lithograph. This lithograph was printed in 1952 for the "Improvisations" portfolio, published by the Artists Equity Association of New York on the occasion of the 19...
Category

1950s Milton Avery Prints and Multiples

Materials

Lithograph

NIGHT NUDE
By Milton Avery
Located in Portland, ME
Avery, Milton. NIGHT NUDE. Woodcut, 1953. Edition of 25 in black and white (there were a further 25 printed in black and blue). Signed, dated and numbered "6/25" in pencil, and also ...
Category

1950s American Modern Milton Avery Prints and Multiples

Materials

Woodcut

Head of a Man
By Milton Avery
Located in New York, NY
A superb impression of this very scarce drypoint. Edition of 100. Signed in pencil by Avery. Printed by Atelier 17, New York. Published by Laurel Gallery, New York. From "Laurels Por...
Category

1930s Modern Milton Avery Prints and Multiples

Materials

Drypoint

Trees by the Sea
By Milton Avery
Located in New York, NY
This bold color woodcut print is printed on Japan paper and is an artist proof, aside from the edition of 20. Signed, dated and inscribed "artist proof" in pencil by Avery. Dimension...
Category

1950s Abstract Milton Avery Prints and Multiples

Materials

Lithograph, Woodcut

Milton Avery wood block black and white rare dancer COA appraisal framed period
By Milton Avery
Located in Buffalo, NY
Milton Avery. Dancer, 1954. Woodcut. Signed, dated, and numbered in pencil. A fine impression, on cream wove Japan paper, with full margins (7/8 to 3 1/8 inches); in good conditio...
Category

1950s Abstract Expressionist Milton Avery Prints and Multiples

Materials

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STANDING NUDE
By Milton Avery
Located in Aventura, FL
Hand signed and numbered by the artist. Sheet size 19.75 x 13 inches. Image size 14 x 7 inches. Artwork is in excellent condition. Certificate of Authenticity included. Edition of 6...
Category

1940s Modern Milton Avery Prints and Multiples

Materials

Drypoint, Paper

MARCH WITH BABUSHKA (HEAD OF MARCH).
By Milton Avery
Located in Portland, ME
Avery, Milton. MARCH WITH BABUSHKA (HEAD OF MARCH). Drypoint, 1948. Edition of 100, published by Collectors of American Art. Unsigned, as called for (prints from this edition were not signed). 7 x 6 5/8 inches (plate size, measured along the edges), 9 3/4 x 9 5/8 (image, measured on the diagonal, as oriented), 11 1/4 x 11 inches (sheet). In excellent condition. Three of the four corners of the plate have been trimmed to about one inch from the platemark. A spare and elegant portrait of the artist's daughter, the artist March Avery.
Category

1940s American Modern Milton Avery Prints and Multiples

Materials

Drypoint

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A superb, well-inked impression of this scarce drypoint. Signed, dated and numbered 48/90 in pencil, lower margin.
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A superb, richly-inked impression of this color woodcut printed on Japan paper. Artist's proof, aside from the edition of 15. Signed, dated and inscribed "Artist's proof" in pencil b...
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'Flight' offset lithograph poster with birds after painting by Milton Avery
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Dancer
By Milton Avery
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1950s American Modern Milton Avery Prints and Multiples

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Dancer
Dancer
H 11.94 in W 9.88 in
ROOSTER
By Milton Avery
Located in Portland, ME
Avery, Milton. ROOSTER. Woodcut, 1953. Printed in Blue and Black. Edition of 100 published by Collectors of American Art. Signed and dated in pencil. 9 5/8 x 7 1/4 inches, 245 x 184...
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1950s Milton Avery Prints and Multiples

Materials

Woodcut

NUDE
By Milton Avery
Located in Portland, ME
Avery, Milton. NUDE. Lunn 49. Woodcut, 1953. Edition of 20 printed in Black There was also an edition of 500, printed in blue, published by Art In America, and editions of 20 each i...
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1950s Milton Avery Prints and Multiples

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NUDE
NUDE
H 16 in W 20 in D 1 in
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By Milton Avery
Located in Portland, ME
Avery, Milton. LAMB. Woodcut, 1954. Lunn 58. An Artist's Proof in addition to the Edition of 20 printed in red and black; there were also 20 printed in black, 20 in blue and black, and 20 in yellow and black. Signed, dated and inscribed "Artist's Proof," all in pencil. 9 3/4 x 14 inches, 248 x 356 mm (block), plus margins. FRAMED to about 16 x 20 inches. In excellent condition. Provenance: Donald Morris Gallery, Detroit; London Arts Group, Collection of Donald A. Sellers, Detroit, MI; included in an exhibition titled "Milton Avery Woodcuts...
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1950s American Modern Milton Avery Prints and Multiples

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LAMB
LAMB
H 18 in W 24 in D 2 in
HEAD
By Milton Avery
Located in Portland, ME
Avery, Milton. HEAD. Lunn 59. Color woodcut, 1955. Edition of 25 printed in blue. Numbered 13/25 and signed and dated in pencil in the margin just below the image, and titled in penc...
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1950s Modern Milton Avery Prints and Multiples

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HEAD
HEAD
H 20 in W 16 in

Milton Avery prints and multiples for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Milton Avery prints and multiples available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Milton Avery in drypoint, engraving, 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 modern style. Not every interior allows for large Milton Avery prints and multiples, so small editions measuring 5 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Gene Kloss, Warrington Colescott, and Byron Browne. Milton Avery prints and multiples prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $400 and tops out at $12,500, while the average work can sell for $3,650.

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