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Peter Max Folk Art

American, German, b. 1937

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.

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Creator: Peter Max
Large Toulouse Lautrec by Peter Max in Peach Pink, Signed and Framed
By Peter Max
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This is the largest of the Toulouse Lautrec portraits by famed artist Peter Max in peach pink. Professionally framed, signed and numbered.
Category

1960s American Modern Vintage Peter Max Folk Art

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Despite the quality of her work and despite the energy and skill with which she worked both to develop her own talent and to further the progressive movement in American art, Weinrich received little recognition during her lifetime and is only recently being recognized for her leadership as an important female artist bringing the modern movement to the USA. The painting shown is an important example of her mature phase of her work. Exhibitions This is a selective list of exhibitions in which she participated during her life. Its main source is Louise Noun's article on Weinrich in Woman's Art Journal, supplemented by contemporary news accounts in The New York Times, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, the New York Evening Post, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and The Christian Science Monitor. 1915 onward: Provincetown Art Association 1917: Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts 1917: Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia 1917-23: Society of Independent Artists, New York 1919: Art Institute of Chicago 1920: Boston Arts Club 1926 onward: New York Society of Women Artists 1928: Grace Horn Gallery, Boston 1929: Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia 1932: Boston Public Library 1936: Harley Perkins Gallery, Boston (solo) 1938: Boston Society of Independent Artists 1938: Washington Public Library, Washington, D.C. 1939: Corcoran Gallery Biennial, Washington, D.C. 1939: Fogg Art Museum Twentieth Century Club, Boston 1939: Witherstine Gallery, Boston 1939: Institute of Modern Art, Boston 1945: Woljeska Gallery, Brooklyn, New York    Detailed Biography: Agnes Weinrich was born in 1873 on a prosperous farm in south east Iowa. 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Peter Max folk art for sale on 1stDibs.

Peter Max folk art are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of paper and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Peter Max folk art, although beige editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original folk art by Peter Max were created in the modern style in united states during the 1960s. Prices for Peter Max folk art can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $10,500 and can go as high as $10,500, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $10,500.
Questions About Peter Max Folk Art
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Peter Max is originally from Berlin, Germany. During World War II, his family lived in Shanghai, China. As an adult, the artist lived in Haifa, Israel; Paris, France; and New York, New York. You can shop a range of Peter Max art on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Peter Max is an artist known for creating colorful pop art compositions. He was born on October 19, 1937, in Berlin, Germany, and eventually made Brooklyn, New York his home. Some of his most famous works include Without Borders, Blushing Beauty, Better World and Love. Shop a range of Peter Max art on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 13, 2024
    Peter Max was born in Berlin, Germany, in 1937. However, he spent the first part of his childhood in Shanghai, China, 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. Shop a collection of Peter Max art on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    No, Peter Max is no longer painting. Reportedly, he stopped painting in 2015 due to health problems. Some of the artist's most famous works include Without Borders, Blushing Beauty, Better World, Deco Lady and Flag with Heart. Find a variety of Peter Max art on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    The kind of art that is associated with Peter Max is colorful and bold — the psychedelic Pop art that characterizes the majority of the German-born American artist's paintings and prints owes to an interest in comic books, jazz and films that he developed in his youth. Max's work is also informed by his experience with synesthesia, a sensory condition that causes him to see music and hear color. Find a collection of original Peter Max art on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Peter Max uses a variety of media to produce his colorful compositions. Many of his pieces are paintings. He also produces collages, prints, sculptures, digital art and films. During the course of his career, he received commissions to create posters for the Super Bowl, the Grammys and the U.S. Open. Shop a collection of Peter Max art on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertAugust 29, 2024
    To tell if a Peter Max is real, conduct research using trusted online resources. For paintings, you can compare the artist's signature on your piece to images of authentic paintings. Signature comparisons can also be useful when authenticating prints, as can comparing the image size and numbering to information shared in reputable catalogues. Because there are many convincing counterfeits of the artist's work, you may wish to have a certified appraiser or knowledgeable art dealer assist you with the authentication process. On 1stDibs, shop a variety of Peter Max art.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Peter Max is best known for producing vibrant, bold paintings that draw inspiration from psychedelic and pop art. His famous works like Without Borders, Blushing Beauty, Better World and Love are popular contemporary wall art and are often sold as prints and posters. Shop a selection of Peter Max art on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 22, 2021
    How much a Peter Max painting is worth will be determined by its condition, the presence of a signature, size and other factors. 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 a deep interest in American pop culture — namely comic books, jazz and cinema — that would inform his bold and graphic paintings. His prints can be found for less than approximately $1,000 but his paintings have sold for between $10,000 and $20,000 over the years. Find original Peter Max paintings on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Peter Max's connection to the Statue of Liberty is that he created multiple paintings of the famous landmark. He made the first one for America's Bicentennial on July 4, 1976. You can shop a range of Peter Max art on 1stDibs.

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