While New York City’s art scene in the 1950s and ’60s revolved around Abstract Expressionism, multidisciplinary artist Sol LeWitt paved an alternative path, creating a prolific output of work in the genres of minimalism and, later, Conceptual art.
While LeWitt is perhaps best known for his immense “wall drawings,” he created work in a wide range of media, including drawing, painting, printmaking and sculpture. (However, in a characteristic rebuttal of canonical art history, he referred to these pieces as “structures.”) He also produced several texts, including the seminal Sentences on Conceptual Art (1969).
Born in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1928, LeWitt received a BFA from Syracuse University before going to work as a graphic designer for the renowned architect I.M. Pei. He would later work at the book counter at the Museum of Modern Art, where his colleagues included fellow artists. LeWitt’s early exposure to architecture may well have had outsize influence on his subsequent career: He was known for the geometric nature of his work, specifically his fastidious, near-obsessive treatment of the cube, which he rendered repeatedly in various ways throughout his paintings, structures and wall drawings.
In the 1960s, LeWitt showed in several group exhibitions throughout New York and also began to experiment with three-dimensional structures, most modular riffs on the cube shape. His work was included in “Working Drawings and Other Visible Things on Paper Not Necessarily Meant to Be Viewed as Art,” curated by Mel Bochner, another leading exponent of Conceptualism.
Later, LeWitt debuted his now-iconic wall drawings, creating work directly on the walls of galleries and show spaces, beginning with pioneering gallerist Paula Cooper’s inaugural show in 1968. The wall drawings became a prime example of LeWitt’s philosophical approach to art, with their installation often carried out by museum staff or curators following precise instructions from the artist.
“The idea,” the artist once said, “becomes a machine that makes the art.” LeWitt continued to produce work until his death in 2007.
Find a collection of original Sol LeWitt art on 1stDibs.
$18,000 / item
Coffee Table by Sol LeWitt
By Sol LeWitt
Located in Jersey City, NJ
Coffee table designed 1981, black walnut with 3/8" glass top Measures: 18½" x 48" x 48" (46.4 x 121.9 x 121.9 cm) Stamped “Certificate of Authenticity” included. Object descr...
Walnut
Minimalist Brazilian Coffee Table 'Frame' by Samuel Lamas
By Samuel Lamas
Located in Brasilia, DF
Frame Coffee Table by Samuel Lamas, 2022 Introducing the award-winning Frame Coffee Table, a masterpiece of minimalist design that seamlessly blends steel and glass. Conceptualized ...
Steel
Minimalist Brazilian Coffee Table 'Frame' by Samuel Lamas
By Samuel Lamas
Located in Brasilia, DF
This award-winning minimalist steel and glass showcase table is designed within architectural and geometric reasoning. With square DNA, four stair-shape...
Steel
$4,019 / item
H 11.82 in W 37.01 in D 37.01 in
“Fit Table” Travertine Marble Coffee Table by Aparentment
By Josep Vila Capdevila
Located in Terrassa, Catalonia
The Fit Coffee Table is a sculptural centerpiece crafted from solid travertine. Composed of five precisely cut stone elements, its design explores balance, proportion, and structural...
Marble, Travertine
Rosso Levanto Glass Marble Coffee Table - Handmade Coffee Table
Located in İnegöl, TR
ROSSO LEVANTO GLASS SQUARE COFFEE TABLE Type of Marble: Rosso Levanto Dimensions: 36" x 36" x 15" Leg Model: Rosso Levanto Marble Customizable: Available! Production Time: 3-4 Weeks...
Stone, Marble
$1,900 / item
H 11.82 in W 47.25 in D 47.25 in
Minimalist brazilian coffee table "Julie" by Samuel Lamas
By Samuel Lamas
Located in Brasilia, DF
Introducing the Julie Coffee Table by Lamas Design, a masterpiece of contemporary design that masterfully blends geometry, aesthetics, and sustainability. The circular tabletop, feat...
Steel
Zinc Coffee Table Curva
By Cultivado em Casa
Located in Floresta, MG
A common item in steel houses, the 180º curve is the starting point for the development of the collection. Using this element of industrial origin and organic format, we seek to crea...
Steel, Zinc
Minimalist Brazilian Coffee Table `Jamile` by Samuel Lamas
By Samuel Lamas
Located in Brasilia, DF
Jamile Coffee Table by Samuel Lamas, 2022 Introducing the Jamile Coffee Table, a minimalist masterpiece that embodies the architectural and geometric elegance of modern Brazilian de...
Steel
$2,061 / item
H 10.04 in Dm 25.6 in
“Brass Coffee Table M” White Carrara Marble Minimalist Coffee Table
By Josep Vila Capdevila
Located in Terrassa, Catalonia
The Marblelous Coffe Table Medium is a minimalist style low table consisting of a treated Carrara marble base and four solid brass legs joined together by silver welded solid brass c...
Carrara Marble, Marble, Brass
$2,800Sale Price|20% Off
H 17 in Dm 35 in
Round Marble Coffee Table, Travertine Coffee Table, Stone Center Table
Located in İnegöl, TR
TRAVERTINE STONE COFFEE TABLE Type of Stone: Travertine Dimensions: 40" Diameter Leg Model: Travertine Customizable: Available! Production Time: 3-4 Weeks Shipping Cost: Free! Packa...
Stone, Marble
$43,895 / item
H 15.36 in W 63.98 in D 35.44 in
Rib Coffee Table — Sculpted Patinated Brass — by NOVOCASTRIAN
By Novocastrian, Richy Almond
Located in Washington, GB
Inspired by the ship building heritage of North-East England, the Rib Coffee Table plays on the skeleton of ribs, gussets and intersections used to create the strength and rigidity n...
Stone, Limestone, Marble, Carrara Marble, Slate, Metal, Brass, Bronze, C...
Baxter Liquid Coffee Table by Draga & Aurel, Resin
By Draga & Aurel, Baxter
Located in Philadelphia, PA
The Liquid coffee table featured here has a top in Shanghai Graphic Resin and base in matte black varnished metal. This table features clean, minim...
Metal
$8,529 / item
H 15.75 in W 43.31 in D 43.31 in
Minimalist Square Coffee Table in Walnut Veneer, Table by Joel Escalona
By NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Minimalist square coffee table in walnut veneer, table by Joel Escalona The Basilica Tables, designed by Joel Escalona for NONO furniture, embody a un...
Wood
$2,405
H 16.54 in W 47.25 in D 23.63 in
Coffee Table by José Espinho for Estoril Sol Hotel, Model Export, 1970's
By Olaio, José Espinho 1
Located in Lisboa, PT
This exquisite coffee table, designed by José Espinho and produced by Móveis Sousa Braga and Móveis Olaio in Portugal, is a prime example of 1970s Portuguese design. The "Model Expor...
Wood
$9,352 / item
H 15.36 in W 63.98 in D 35.44 in
Rib Coffee Table — Patinated Bronzed Steel by NOVOCASTRIAN
By Richy Almond, Novocastrian
Located in Washington, GB
Inspired by the ship building heritage of North-East England, the Rib Coffee Table plays on the skeleton of ribs, gussets and intersections used to create the strength and rigidity n...
Stone, Limestone, Marble, Carrara Marble, Slate, Sheet Metal, Brass, Bro...
Coffee Table Curva
By Cultivado em Casa
Located in Floresta, MG
The 180º bend is a common industrial feature found in steel factories. From this element, we developed a collection that incorporates softness into the rawness of the material.
Steel