Skip to main content

Peter Max Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

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.

to
4
4
1
2
2
2
2
Overall Height
to
Overall Width
to
3
1
3
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
3
1
1
1
387
671
318
199
133
2
1
1
1
1
Artist: Peter Max
Lady Profile, Peter Max
By Peter Max
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Peter Max (1937) Title: Umbrella Man Year: 1997 Medium: Ink on archival paper Size: 13 x 14 inches Condition: Excellent Inscription: Signed by the artist PETER MAX (1937- ) ...
Category

1990s Pop Art Peter Max Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink

Seated Man, Peter Max
By Peter Max
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Peter Max (1937) Title: Seated Man Year: 1980 Medium: Ink on archival paper Size: 9 x 11.5 inches Condition: Excellent Inscription: Signed by the artist PETER MAX (1937- ) P...
Category

1980s Pop Art Peter Max Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink

Unique Painting: United We Stand: Four Statues of Liberty with Blue Statue
By Peter Max
Located in New York, NY
Peter Max United We Stand: Four Statues of Liberty with Blue Statue of Liberty, 2001 Unique acrylic and Mixed Media painting with collage on thin board Bo...
Category

Early 2000s Pop Art Peter Max Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Lithograph, Acrylic, Mixed Media

Pair of Etchings V. 3. IX and XII
By Peter Max
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Fantastic pair of Peter Max (American b. 1937) V. 3. IX and XII. In the manner of Picasso each color pencil signed lower center and titled low...
Category

Late 20th Century Surrealist Peter Max Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Pencil, Color Pencil

Related Items
Watchmaker, Drawing, Inventor, Work on Paper, Ink, Watercolor, Tan, Yellow
By Krzysztof Pastuszka
Located in Riverdale, NY
Watchmaker is an original Ink and Watercolor Pencil drawing on paper. It is 16x24, unframed. Krzysztof Pastuszka is an interdisciplinary artist who spans sculpture, drawing, engineering, and computer design. Much of his work focuses on the complexity and tension in transition/transitioning, giving voice to his experience growing up as a trans kid in the late 90s -2000s. His process consists of idea generation and the testing and creation of prototypes to generate a multitude of parts. He focuses on mechanical movement and the interplay between parts to visualize the intricacies of change and focus on the necessity of each component's ability to cooperate with another and create movement. He uses motion as a way to expose all the micro-operations and mental acrobatics involved in navigating and rejecting the unchanging nature of cisnormativity. He combines his array of skills to envision and compose an elaborate trail of blueprints archiving the hidden and unseen essence of his trans experience--building documentation that didn't exist in his childhood. His current body of work consists of multiple assemblies within one mechanical sculpture...
Category

2010s Contemporary Peter Max Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Ink, Color Pencil

Four Years (Radio) (2020) by street artist City Kitty, graffiti MTA poster
Located in Jersey City, NJ
"Four Years of Frustration, Delays & Missed Appointments (Radio or Streaming)" (2020) by street artist City Kitty 18.25 x 12.25 x .75" Ink, acrylic and color pencil on MTA poster...
Category

2010s Street Art Peter Max Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Ink, Acrylic, Color Pencil

Plot Plan No. 170519
By Patricia Smith
Located in New York, NY
Plot Plan No. 170519 Full-Dress Protectionist Pad With Knotted Entrance Strategy This ink and watercolor, work on paper is from Patricia Smith's newly released series: "Shelter in P...
Category

2010s Conceptual Peter Max Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Archival Ink, Watercolor, Archival Paper

Leftist Hemisphere Disintegration Study Gerrymandered Version
By Patricia Smith
Located in New York, NY
Ink and watercolor on paper, signed on reverse. Presented floated in a finely crafted hardwood frame. Titled as: "Plot Plan No. 178521 Leftist Hemisphere Disintegration Study Gerry...
Category

2010s Conceptual Peter Max Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Archival Ink, Watercolor, Archival Paper

Rigged Opulence Compartment
By Patricia Smith
Located in New York, NY
"Rigged Opulence Compartment With Temporal Resonance Modules" framed, with signature on reverse This ink and watercolor, work on paper is from Patricia Smith's newly released series...
Category

2010s Conceptual Peter Max Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Archival Ink, Watercolor, Archival Paper

Personality Metamorphosis - Painting by Miclea Roxana - 2019
Located in Roma, IT
Personality metamorphosis is one of the best works of the artist Miclea Roxana. It is made on canvas, painted in acrylic, oil and tempera in 2019. The a...
Category

2010s Contemporary Peter Max Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Oil, Acrylic, Tempera

The Secrets of the Mind - Painting by Miclea Roxana - 2021
Located in Roma, IT
The secret of the mind is one of the best works of the artist Miclea Roxana. It is made on canvas, painted in acrylic and oil in 2021. The artist uses the method of breaking down th...
Category

2010s Contemporary Peter Max Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Acrylic

The Two-Sided Mirror - Painting by Miclea Roxana - 2017
Located in Roma, IT
The two-sided mirror is one of the best works of the artist Miclea Roxana. It is made on canvas, painted in oil in 2017. The artist uses the method of breaking down the figure into ...
Category

2010s Contemporary Peter Max Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Oil

Visible Fusion - Painting by Contempologyc E.M. - 2021
By Contempologyc E.M.
Located in Roma, IT
Visible fusion in an original tempera on paper realized by the contemporary Artist Contempologyc in 2021. Excellet conditions. Unframed.
Category

2010s Contemporary Peter Max Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Tempera

Three Women, black and white work on paper, landscape
By Charles Buckley
Located in New York, NY
We are delighted to debut Charles Buckley’s most recent series of ink drawings, based on photographs sourced from the mid-20th century. Buckley ...
Category

2010s Contemporary Peter Max Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Ink

"Think About Kate Again, " Surreal Pastel and Ink Drawing by Reginald K. Gee
By Reginald K. Gee
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Think About Kate Again" is an original pastel and ink drawing by Reginald K. Gee. The artist signed the piece lower left. It features two intertwined, small figures on a seemingly endless and expansive yellow road...
Category

1980s Contemporary Peter Max Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Pastel, Ink

Balloon, Flying Machine, Drawing, Work on Paper, Ink, Watercolor, Tan, Yellow
By Krzysztof Pastuszka
Located in Riverdale, NY
Balloon is an original Ink and Watercolor Pencil drawing on paper. It is 16x24, unframed. It is an invented flying machine idea imagined by Pastuszka. As the bicycle is pedaled, t...
Category

2010s Contemporary Peter Max Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Ink, Color Pencil

Previously Available Items
COSMIC UMBRELLA MAN
By Peter Max
Located in Aventura, FL
Original mixed media and watercolor on paper. Hand signed on front by the artist. Artwork is in excellent condition. Certificate of Authenticity included. All reasonable offers wi...
Category

Late 20th Century Pop Art Peter Max Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Mixed Media, Watercolor

PROFILE WITH YELLOW FLOWERS
By Peter Max
Located in Aventura, FL
Original mixed media and watercolor on paper. Hand signed on front by the artist. Artwork is in excellent condition. Certificate of Authenticity included. All reasonable offers wi...
Category

Late 20th Century Pop Art Peter Max Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Mixed Media, Watercolor

UMBRELLA MAN (2 SUNS)
By Peter Max
Located in Aventura, FL
Original mixed media and watercolor on paper. Hand signed on front by the artist. Artwork is in excellent condition. Certificate of Authenticity included. All reasonable offers wi...
Category

Late 20th Century Pop Art Peter Max Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Mixed Media, Watercolor

UMBRELLA MAN (SUNSET)
By Peter Max
Located in Aventura, FL
Original mixed media and watercolor on paper. Hand signed on front by the artist. Artwork is in excellent condition. Certificate of Authenticity included. All reasonable offers wi...
Category

Late 20th Century Pop Art Peter Max Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Mixed Media, Watercolor

COSMIC PROFILE
By Peter Max
Located in Aventura, FL
Original mixed media and watercolor on paper. Hand signed on front by the artist. Artwork is in excellent condition. Certificate of Authenticity included. All reasonable offers wi...
Category

Late 20th Century Pop Art Peter Max Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Mixed Media, Watercolor

UMBRELLA MAN WITH HORIZON
By Peter Max
Located in Aventura, FL
Original mixed media and watercolor on paper. Hand signed on front by the artist. Artwork is in excellent condition. Certificate of Authenticity included. All reasonable offers wi...
Category

Late 20th Century Pop Art Peter Max Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Mixed Media, Watercolor

Two Hearts as One
By Peter Max
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
An original drawing on signed exhibition poster by American artist Peter Max (1937-) titled "Two Hearts as One", 2000. This poster has an original dr...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Peter Max Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Permanent Marker

Peter Max figurative drawings and watercolors for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Peter Max figurative drawings and watercolors available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Peter Max in ink, acrylic paint, color pencil 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 Peter Max figurative drawings and watercolors, so small editions measuring 12 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Keith Haring, Larry Rivers, and Jules Engel. Peter Max figurative drawings and watercolors prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $4,000 and tops out at $4,800, while the average work can sell for $4,200.
Questions About Peter Max Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
  • 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
    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 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
    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 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.

Recently Viewed

View All