Skip to main content

R.B. Kitaj Art

Born Ronald Brooks Kitaj in Cleveland, Ohio, to an American family with Viennese and Russian-Jewish heritage, R.B. Kitaj (1932-2007) is widely regarded as one of the most erudite and iconographically complex artists of the last half-century; he is subsequently considered to be a key figure in the canon of European and American art. His expressive, figurative works combine aspects of contemporary life with art historical and socio-political references, sexuality,self-analysis and Judeo-Christian mysticism embedded in the early 20th-century literature of Franz Kafka and Walter Benjamin. While his work has occasionally been considered controversial, he is undeniably viewed as a master draughtsman with a commitment to figurative art. His highly personal paintings, prints and drawings reflect his deep interest in history; cultural, social and political ideologies; and issues of identity. As a child, attended art classes at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Following his studies at Cooper Union in New York and the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna, he spent two years in Europe serving for the United States Army. He then continued his studies at the Ruskin School of Art, Oxford University, and at the Royal College of Art in London. He enrolled at the latter in 1959, where he became a close friend of David Hockney, Patrick Caulfield and Allen Jones, he was inititally identified as a pioneer of Pop Art, before recontextualising himself as a School of London painter alongside admired contemporaries that included Auerbach, Bacon, Freud and Kossoff. Kitaj remained in in London for 40 years, until 1997 when he moved to Los Angeles. He died at his home there in 2007, one week before his 75th birthday. Despite his early association with Pop Art, Kitaj had limited interest in the culture of mass media and instead works from pictorial and literary sources. Renowned for his use of intellectually stimulating historical references, Kitaj's work was often inspired by late 19th-century French art and by his Jewish identity. His paintings and prints add up to an extraordinary body of work; the latter function as an illustrated journal of an artist's life, characterized by a quest for new subject matter and innovative ways to depict it. R.B. Kitaj remains one of the most influential artists since the late 1950's and continues to link personal history with contemporary art through his unique vision.
to
1
2
1
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
3
2
1
1
1
2
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
3
11,084
2,853
2,494
1,436
3
Artist: R.B. Kitaj
Performing Arts Center, Modern Art Screenprint by RB Kitaj
Performing Arts Center, Modern Art Screenprint by RB Kitaj

Performing Arts Center, Modern Art Screenprint by RB Kitaj

By R.B. Kitaj

Located in Long Island City, NY

This print by R.B. Kitaj is part of an 8-piece portfolio published by The New York Graphic Society in 1983 and includes works from Red Grooms, Robert Indiana, Alex Katz, R.B. Kitaj, ...

Category

1980s Modern R.B. Kitaj Art

Materials

Screen

Baghdad Screen Print by Kitaj, Contemporary, Signed AP, 1972
Baghdad Screen Print by Kitaj, Contemporary, Signed AP, 1972

Baghdad Screen Print by Kitaj, Contemporary, Signed AP, 1972

By R.B. Kitaj

Located in Brooklyn, NY

Six color screen-print and photo-screenprint. Signed and numbered AP in pencil by Kitaj in the top right corner. Printed at Kelpra Studio, London and published by Marlborough Graphi...

Category

1970s Contemporary R.B. Kitaj Art

Materials

Screen

Related Items
Jing Zhiyong "A Beacon" Contemporary Art Astronauts Series
Jing Zhiyong "A Beacon" Contemporary Art Astronauts Series

Jing Zhiyong "A Beacon" Contemporary Art Astronauts Series

By Zhiyong Jing

Located in Draper, UT

TITLE: Jing Zhiyong "A Beacon" Contemporary Art Astronauts Series YEAR 2021 CLASSIFICATION: Limited edition to 50 prints. MEDIUM TYPE: Print MEDIUM/MATERIALS: Screen Print on Fine Ar...

Category

2010s Contemporary R.B. Kitaj Art

Materials

Screen

Afghan Girl iconic poster: Sharbat Gula, Pakistan (Hand Signed by Steve McCurry)
Afghan Girl iconic poster: Sharbat Gula, Pakistan (Hand Signed by Steve McCurry)

Afghan Girl iconic poster: Sharbat Gula, Pakistan (Hand Signed by Steve McCurry)

By Steve McCurry

Located in New York, NY

Steve McCurry Sharbat Gula, Afghan Girl, Pakistan (Hand Signed), 1984 Offset Lithograph poster Hand signed by the photographer in black felt pen on the front 24 × 20 inches Unframed...

Category

1980s Realist R.B. Kitaj Art

Materials

Felt Pen, Lithograph, Offset

Dogs and Bones /// Contemporary Pop Art Animal Pet Funny Humor Screenprint
Dogs and Bones /// Contemporary Pop Art Animal Pet Funny Humor Screenprint

Dogs and Bones /// Contemporary Pop Art Animal Pet Funny Humor Screenprint

By Dan May

Located in Saint Augustine, FL

Artist: Dan May (American, 1955-) Title: "Dogs and Bones" *Signed and numbered by May in pencil lower left Year: 1986 Medium: Original Screenprint on unbranded white wove paper Limited edition: 15/25 Printer: the artist May himself, Oakland, CA Publisher: the artist May himself, Oakland, CA Sheet size: 34.13" x 29.88" Image size: 25.88" x 24" Condition: Some moderate edge wear around, and heavy wear with a repaired tear at lower right corner. In otherwise good condition with strong colors and clean paper. Will look great once framed and with its marginal imperfections covered Notes: Titled and dated by May in pencil lower right. Biography: Dan May is an American painter and printmaker born on March 11, 1955 in San Francisco, CA. Raised in aesthetic surroundings heavily influenced by his architect father, May grew up learning to view all things with an eye for design, color, and shape. At age 5, he remembers his father cutting up a book of drawings by Henri Matisse and hanging them on the walls of their home. The French master Matisse as well as Richard Diebenkorn and David Hockney are his favorite art influences. He began his first attempts at painting at age 15, and later began to experiment with printmaking, teaching himself various techniques such as woodblock printing, etching, silkscreen printing, and monoprinting. Monoprinting soon became May's medium of choice due to its wide range of expression and spontaneity that he felt other techniques lacked. May - "With monoprinting, you can only work a piece for as a long as the paint stays wet, so the resulting print has a feeling of movement and immediacy. I also like how monoprinting allows the brush strokes to transfer a transparent light quality to the print. For me, this is a technique that bridges drawing...

Category

1980s Contemporary R.B. Kitaj Art

Materials

Screen

VENDEDORA Signed Lithograph, Portrait Seated Young Girl, Mexican Fruit Seller
VENDEDORA Signed Lithograph, Portrait Seated Young Girl, Mexican Fruit Seller

VENDEDORA Signed Lithograph, Portrait Seated Young Girl, Mexican Fruit Seller

By Elizabeth Catlett

Located in Union City, NJ

VENDEDORA, a limited edition lithograph by the renowned American-born Mexican sculptor and printmaker Elizabeth Catlett(b.1915–2012) depicts a sensitive black and white portrait of a...

Category

Early 2000s Realist R.B. Kitaj Art

Materials

Lithograph

Old Violinist - Late 19th Century Figurative Lithograph
Old Violinist - Late 19th Century Figurative Lithograph

Old Violinist - Late 19th Century Figurative Lithograph

By John George Brown

Located in Soquel, CA

Finely detailed late 19th century chromo-lithograph portrait of a violinist street musician by John George Brown (British, 1831-1913). Many of Brown’s paintings were reproduced in lithography (Chromo-lithograpy), as is the case with the one offered here. Presented in a rustic antique Oak wood frame with giltwood fillet. Image, 15.63"H x 10.63"W. John George Brown was a British citizen and an American painter born in Durham, England. His parents apprenticed him to the career of glass worker at the age of fourteen, in an attempt to dissuade him from pursuing painting. He studied nights at the School of Design in Newcastle-on-Tyne while working as a glass cutter there between 1849 and 1852, and evenings at the Trustees Academy in Edinburgh while working at the Holyrood Glass Works between 1852 ad 1853. After moving to New York City in 1853, he studied with Thomas Seir Cummings at the National Academy of Design where he was elected a National Academician in 1861. Brown was the Academy’s vice-president from 1899 to 1904. Around 1855, he worked for the owner of the Brooklyn Glass Company, and later he married the daughter of his employer. His father-in-law encouraged his artistic abilities, supporting him financially, letting Brown pursue painting full-time. In 1866, he became one of the charter members of the Water-Color Society, of which he was president from 1887 to 1904. Brown became famous for his depictions of street urchins found of the streets of New York (bootblacks, street musicians, posy sellers, newsboys, etc.). Brown’s art is best characterized as British genre painting...

Category

1870s Realist R.B. Kitaj Art

Materials

Paper, Lithograph

Moonlight
Moonlight

Ting Shao KuangMoonlight, 1994

$800

H 41.5 in W 33 in D 0.01 in

Moonlight

By Ting Shao Kuang

Located in San Francisco, CA

This artwork titled "Moonlight" 1994, is an original color serigraph on wove paper by noted Chinese artist Ting Shao Kuang, b.1939. It is unsigned as issue....

Category

Late 20th Century Modern R.B. Kitaj Art

Materials

Screen

Ancient Civilization
Ancient Civilization

Ting Shao KuangAncient Civilization, 1996

$650

H 30.5 in W 29.25 in D 0.01 in

Ancient Civilization

By Ting Shao Kuang

Located in San Francisco, CA

This artwork titled "Ancient Civilization" 1996, is an original color serigraph on thin rice paper taped to a sheet of wove paper for stabilization by noted ...

Category

Late 20th Century Modern R.B. Kitaj Art

Materials

Screen

InvadHirst
InvadHirst

Damien HirstInvadHirst, 2025

$7,500

H 34 in W 43 in D 1 in

InvadHirst

By Damien Hirst

Located in Calabasas, CA

Artist: Damien Hirst X Invader Title: Invadhirst Year: 2025 Medium: 21-colour silkscreen print on Somerset Satin White 410 gsm cotton paper Edition: 1194; hand-signed by the artists ...

Category

2010s Contemporary R.B. Kitaj Art

Materials

Screen

Religion and Peace
Religion and Peace

Ting Shao KuangReligion and Peace, 1995

$700

H 37.5 in W 30.25 in D 0.01 in

Religion and Peace

By Ting Shao Kuang

Located in San Francisco, CA

This artwork titled "Religion and Peace" 1995, is an original color serigraph on thin rice paper taped to a sheet of wove paper for stabilization by noted Ch...

Category

Late 20th Century Modern R.B. Kitaj Art

Materials

Screen

Pop Shop II Plate 3 By Keith Haring
Pop Shop II Plate 3 By Keith Haring

Pop Shop II Plate 3 By Keith Haring

By Keith Haring

Located in Dubai, Dubai

Pop Shop II Plate 3 By Keith Haring Keith Haring was a visionary American artist and social activist known for his iconic, colorful, and dynamic graffiti-inspired artwork that eme...

Category

1980s Contemporary R.B. Kitaj Art

Materials

Paper, Screen

Luminous Dawn Screen Print, Contemporary, Signed, 1990s, 108 Edition
Luminous Dawn Screen Print, Contemporary, Signed, 1990s, 108 Edition

Luminous Dawn Screen Print, Contemporary, Signed, 1990s, 108 Edition

By Jules Olitski

Located in New York, NY

This screen print, printed on Arches Cover White paper, is hand signed and numbered in graphite. The edition size is 108 plus 18 Artist Proofs. This print comes directly from the publisher, Lincoln Center Editions...

Category

1990s Contemporary R.B. Kitaj Art

Materials

Screen

Vivien in White Coat, 2021
Vivien in White Coat, 2021

Vivien in White Coat, 2021

By Alex Katz

Located in Palo Alto, CA

Alex Katz Vivien in White Coat, 2021 is a work of subtle admiration that the artist holds for her daughter-in-law, Vivien Bittencourt. The gentle hues...

Category

2010s Contemporary R.B. Kitaj Art

Materials

Screen

Previously Available Items
Femme de Peuple II (hand signed and inscribed to poet Robert Duncan)
Femme de Peuple II (hand signed and inscribed to poet Robert Duncan)

Femme de Peuple II (hand signed and inscribed to poet Robert Duncan)

By R.B. Kitaj

Located in New York, NY

R. B. Kitaj Femme de Peuple II (hand signed and inscribed to poet Robert Duncan), 1978 Offset Lithograph (hand signed and inscribed to poet Robert Duncan) Hand signed and inscribed o...

Category

1970s Pop Art R.B. Kitaj Art

Materials

Graphite, Lithograph, Offset

R.b. Kitaj art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic R.B. Kitaj art available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of art to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of pink, purple and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by R.B. Kitaj in screen print, mixed media, 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 Pop Art style. Not every interior allows for large R.B. Kitaj art, so small editions measuring 14 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Peter Phillips, Patrick Nagel, and Clemens Briels. R.B. Kitaj art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $800 and tops out at $4,000, while the average work can sell for $1,450.

Artists Similar to R.B. Kitaj