Born Peter Max Finkelstein in Berlin in 1937, psychedelic Pop art icon Peter Max spent the first part of his childhood in Shanghai after his parents emigrated from Germany to flee the Nazis. While there, Max developed his deep interest in American pop culture — namely comic books, jazz and cinema. Max’s paintings, graphic design, prints and illustrations, which were inspired by these interests, were also informed by his experience with synesthesia, a sensory condition that causes him to see music and hear color.
After relocating to Haifa, Israel, then Paris, where he spent a significant amount of time in sketching classes at the Louvre, a teenage Max and his family finally moved to the United States, settling in Brooklyn. Max enrolled in the Art Students League of New York in 1956, training under Frank J. Reilly, and then the School of Visual Arts. Throughout art school, Max focused on photorealism, but he found the style too restrictive. When he graduated and opened his graphic design studio with friends in 1962, he began experimenting with abstraction and color — just in time for the psychedelic era.
The technicolor works for which Max would become known are characterized by big and bold graphic qualities — not dissimilar to what you’d find in his beloved comic books. Some deeper themes emerged across his work too: Max spent a good portion of the 1960s and 1970s creating his signature cosmic style, inspired by his fascination with astronomy and Eastern philosophies.
For Max and his partners, the graphic design business was highly successful, with commissions rolling in from advertising agencies, magazines and even Hollywood in the form of movie posters. The artist was featured on the cover of Life in 1969, and by the 1970s, he was practically a household name.
Max's body of work extended into product design, including a line of clocks for General Electric, while his domination of the commercial art scene continued for decades. He was commissioned to paint a postage stamp honoring the World’s Fair of 1974 (Expo ‘74); a Statue of Liberty series in which some proceeds went on to fund the statue’s restoration; posters and other advertising materials for major events like the Super Bowl, the U.S. Open and the Grammys; a Dale Earnhardt race car; and even the hull of the Norwegian Breakaway cruise ship.
Commercial activities aside, Max has long been the subject of many museum exhibitions, from his first solo show in 1970, “The World of Peter Max,” at the M.H. de Young Memorial Museum in San Francisco to 2016's “Peter Max: 50 Years of Cosmic Dreaming” at the Tampa Museum of Art in Florida. Today, his work belongs to the collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and other institutions.
Find original Peter Max lithographs, paintings, signed art and other works for sale on 1stDibs.
Still Life Acrylic Painting on Canvas, Custom Framed, Signed, 21x25
By Peter Max
Located in Aventura, FL
Original acrylic painting on canvas. Hand signed upper front by Peter Max. Canvas size: 11 x 14 inches. Custom framed as pictured. Black frame and linen matting with hand painte...
Canvas, Acrylic
Sunset Sail, Original Painting on Canvas, Signed, 25x31 in. Framed, 1971
By Peter Max
Located in Aventura, FL
Original acrylic painting on canvas. Hand signed and dated on front by Peter Max. Canvas size: 24 x 30 inches. Custom framed as pictured. Frame size: 25 x 31 inches. Inscribed L...
Canvas, Acrylic
"Kitchen" - Fauvist Interior Scene
Located in Soquel, CA
Whimsical depiction of the artist's kitchen by Jon Joaquin (American, b. 1944). Titled, initialed, and dated on verso. New; acquired directly from the artist. No frame, but the edges...
Canvas, Acrylic
Southwest Zuni Pottery Still Life by Amaranta
Located in Soquel, CA
Beautifully executed realistic Southwestern still life of traditional Native American pottery, with a patterned textile, feather, and ear of red corn, by an unknown artist (20th cent...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,800
H 24 in Dm 24 in
"Sanctuary" (2025) Original Acrylic Painting, Whimsical Interior
By Leigh Ann Van Fossan
Located in Denver, CO
Leigh Ann Van Fossan's "Sanctuary" is an original acrylic and pastel painting depicting a warm interior with a cozy cat perched on a chair peering out a picturesque window. Van Fos...
Canvas, Charcoal, Acrylic
Interior with Cats
By Linda Henningson
Located in Atlanta, GA
Artist Statement "I’m a Canadian painter living on an island off the northwest coast of Canada. My current paintings revolve around floral still lives. The flowers are the original...
Canvas, Acrylic
$4,018
H 30 in W 30 in D 2 in
Oil Gas Fuel Pump Pop Art on Abstract Background by British Graffiti Artist
By Chris Pegg
Located in Preston, GB
Oil Gas Fuel Pump Cartoon Pop Art on Abstract Background by British Urban Graffiti Artist, Chris Pegg. Chris Pegg is a self-taught Street Artist producing artw...
Canvas, Paint, Cotton Canvas, Ink, Mixed Media, Oil, Spray Paint, Acryli...
$1,250
H 36 in W 24 in D 0.75 in
Cubist Still Life with Floral Arrangement and Coffee Cups in Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Soquel, CA
Cubist Still Life with Floral Arrangement and Coffee Cups in Acrylic on Canvas Colorful and detailed still life by unknown artist "Sterj" (20th Century). A vibrant floral arrangemen...
Canvas, Acrylic
Sold
By Lynette Cook
Located in Burlingame, CA
Original acrylic photorealist architectural painting in full and dazzling color, where a "SOLD" sign hangs on a San Francisco Chinatown building for sale. The complex scene features ...
Canvas, Acrylic
$4,018
H 30 in W 30 in D 2 in
Liquorice Sweets Pop Art on Abstract Background by British Graffiti Artist
By Chris Pegg
Located in Preston, GB
Liquorice Sweets Cartoon Pop Art on Abstract Background by British Urban Graffiti Artist, Chris Pegg. Chris Pegg is a self-taught Street Artist producing artwork with a strong social...
Canvas, Paint, Cotton Canvas, Ink, Mixed Media, Oil, Spray Paint, Acryli...
Sometimes Flowers
By Linda Henningson
Located in Atlanta, GA
Artist Statement "I’m a Canadian painter living on an island off the northwest coast of Canada. My current paintings revolve around floral still lives. The flowers are the original...
Canvas, Acrylic
Honeymoon
By Linda Henningson
Located in Atlanta, GA
Artist Statement "I’m a Canadian painter living on an island off the northwest coast of Canada. My current paintings revolve around floral still lives. The flowers are the original...
Canvas, Acrylic
Blossom, Spring serie
By Olha Vlasova
Located in Zofingen, AG
You will receive this painting stretched, with painted edges and completely ready for hanging. Framing is not obligatory and depends only on your preference. The "Spring" series captures the sensations that permeate us during the most enchanting time of the year. It reveals the emergence of feelings, the pleasure of tenderness and the belief in the future. The color palette of the paintings resembles the blossoming of trees, combining pastel tones with vibrant, saturated accents. They seem effortlessly crafted, as if breathing in cool, fresh air. The series is executed in a decorative style, with each canvas incorporating elements that convey a sense of textile. These elements refer to traditional...
Canvas, Acrylic
$3,300
H 72 in W 59 in
Cornfields and Conversations - Large Original Colorful Still Life Painting
By Jonjo Elliott
Located in Los Angeles, CA
English artist Jonjo Elliot's large-scale still-life works are a collision of expressionistic fauvism and his collections encourage a youthful candor. Plants thrive in environments t...
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic
VASE OF FLOWERS SERIES 17 VER. IV #1
By Peter Max
Located in Aventura, FL
Original painting on canvas. Hand signed on front by the artist. Studio stamp on verso. Canvas size 48 x 36 inches. Custom framed with hand painted fillet. Artwork is in excellen...
Canvas, Acrylic
LIVING ROOM
By Peter Max
Located in Aventura, FL
Original painting on canvas. Hand signed and dated on front by the artist. Studio stamp on verso. Stretched. Artwork is in excellent condition. Certificate of Authenticity include...
Canvas, Acrylic
VASE OF FLOWERS SERIES 80 VER. III #1
By Peter Max
Located in Aventura, FL
Original painting on canvas. Hand signed on front by the artist. Studio stamp on verso. Artwork is in excellent condition. Peter Max Studio Certificate of Authenticity included. A...
Canvas, Acrylic
VASE OF FLOWERS SERIES 17 VER. IV #1
By Peter Max
Located in Aventura, FL
Original painting on canvas. Hand signed on front by the artist. Studio stamp on verso. Artwork is in excellent condition. Peter Max Studio Certificate of Authenticity included. A...
Canvas, Acrylic
VASE OF FLOWERS SERIES 28 VER. II #1
By Peter Max
Located in Aventura, FL
Original painting on canvas. Hand signed on front by the artist. Studio stamp on verso. Artwork is in excellent condition. Peter Max Studio Certificate of Authenticity included. Al...
Acrylic, Canvas
VASE OF FLOWERS SERIES 41 VER. II #1
By Peter Max
Located in Aventura, FL
Original painting on canvas. Hand signed on front by the artist. Studio stamp on verso. Artwork is in excellent condition. Peter Max Studio Certificate of Authenticity included. Al...
Acrylic, Canvas
Flower Pot and Window, Acrylic Painting by Peter Max
By Peter Max
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Peter Max Title: Flower Pot and Window Year: 1986 Medium: Acrylic on Canvas, signed u.r. Size: 16 x 20 inches Frame: 18 x 22 inches
Acrylic, Canvas