Mid-Century Modern Prints
MID-CENTURY MODERN STYLE
Organically shaped, clean-lined and elegantly simple are three terms that well describe vintage mid-century modern furniture. The style, which emerged primarily in the years following World War II, is characterized by pieces that were conceived and made in an energetic, optimistic spirit by creators who believed that good design was an essential part of good living.
ORIGINS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
- Emerged during the mid-20th century
- Informed by European modernism, Bauhaus, International style, Scandinavian modernism and Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture
- A heyday of innovation in postwar America
- Experimentation with new ideas, new materials and new forms flourished in Scandinavia, Italy, the former Czechoslovakia and elsewhere in Europe
CHARACTERISTICS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
- Simplicity, organic forms, clean lines
- A blend of neutral and bold Pop art colors
- Use of natural and man-made materials — alluring woods such as teak, rosewood and oak; steel, fiberglass and molded plywood
- Light-filled spaces with colorful upholstery
- Glass walls and an emphasis on the outdoors
- Promotion of functionality
MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW
- Charles and Ray Eames
- Eero Saarinen
- Milo Baughman
- Florence Knoll
- Harry Bertoia
- Isamu Noguchi
- George Nelson
- Danish modernists Hans Wegner and Arne Jacobsen, whose emphasis on natural materials and craftsmanship influenced American designers and vice versa
ICONIC MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNS
- Eames lounge chair
- Nelson daybed
- Florence Knoll sofa
- Egg chair
- Womb chair
- Noguchi coffee table
- Barcelona chair
VINTAGE MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS
The mid-century modern era saw leagues of postwar American architects and designers animated by new ideas and new technology. The lean, functionalist International-style architecture of Le Corbusier and Bauhaus eminences Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Walter Gropius had been promoted in the United States during the 1930s by Philip Johnson and others. New building techniques, such as “post-and-beam” construction, allowed the International-style schemes to be realized on a small scale in open-plan houses with long walls of glass.
Materials developed for wartime use became available for domestic goods and were incorporated into mid-century modern furniture designs. Charles and Ray Eames and Eero Saarinen, who had experimented extensively with molded plywood, eagerly embraced fiberglass for pieces such as the La Chaise and the Womb chair, respectively.
Architect, writer and designer George Nelson created with his team shades for the Bubble lamp using a new translucent polymer skin and, as design director at Herman Miller, recruited the Eameses, Alexander Girard and others for projects at the legendary Michigan furniture manufacturer.
Harry Bertoia and Isamu Noguchi devised chairs and tables built of wire mesh and wire struts. Materials were repurposed too: The Danish-born designer Jens Risom created a line of chairs using surplus parachute straps for webbed seats and backrests.
The Risom lounge chair was among the first pieces of furniture commissioned and produced by celebrated manufacturer Knoll, a chief influencer in the rise of modern design in the United States, thanks to the work of Florence Knoll, the pioneering architect and designer who made the firm a leader in its field. The seating that Knoll created for office spaces — as well as pieces designed by Florence initially for commercial clients — soon became desirable for the home.
As the demand for casual, uncluttered furnishings grew, more mid-century furniture designers caught the spirit.
Classically oriented creators such as Edward Wormley, house designer for Dunbar Inc., offered such pieces as the sinuous Listen to Me chaise; the British expatriate T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings switched gears, creating items such as the tiered, biomorphic Mesa table. There were Young Turks such as Paul McCobb, who designed holistic groups of sleek, blond wood furniture, and Milo Baughman, who espoused a West Coast aesthetic in minimalist teak dining tables and lushly upholstered chairs and sofas with angular steel frames.
Generations turn over, and mid-century modern remains arguably the most popular style going. As the collection of vintage mid-century modern chairs, dressers, coffee tables and other furniture for the living room, dining room, bedroom and elsewhere on 1stDibs demonstrates, this period saw one of the most delightful and dramatic flowerings of creativity in design history.
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Style: Mid-Century Modern
Alexander Calder Exhibition Museum Billboard "Calder's Universe", 1977
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Alexander Calder Exhibition Billboard "Calder's Universe" 1977
Lithograph signed in the plate lower right "Calder"
A rare period piece made...
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Paper
$1,200 Sale Price
20% Off
Mid Century Print Titled "The Queens" by Boris O'Klein
By Boris O’Klein 1
Located in Bedford Hills, NY
Print by Boris O'Klein depicting dirty street dogs titled "The Queens".
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Paper
François Gilot Lithograph, 1951
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
François Gilot original lithograph.
From the poetry book "Pages d'Amour" by André VERDET, editions Raison d'être, 1951, printed by Mourlot limited in 366 copies.
Made in France, c...
Category
1950s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Paper
Marc Chagall Framed Heliogravure Print from the 1956 Bible Collection
By Marc Chagall
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Discover a rare and exquisite black and white heliogravure print by the legendary Marc Chagall, depicting a biblical scene with the artist's signature ethereal quality. This print is...
Category
1950s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Paper
Mid-Century Wood Block Owl Print "Three Eyes" by Kaoru Kawano
By Kaoru Kawano
Located in San Diego, CA
Mid-century wood block print of two owls known as "Three Eyes" by Kaoru Kawano, circa 1950s. The print has a red Kawano seal in lower right corner and is presented in a black wood frame with cream matte. Very cool MCM image! #1369
Kawano Kaoru...
Category
Mid-19th Century Japanese Antique Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Paper
$600 Sale Price
20% Off
Jim Dine (American, b. 1935) Hand-Colored Lithograph "Ties”, 1976
By Jim Dine
Located in Chicago, IL
“Ties” is a hand pulled, hand colored, screen print lithograph, contemporary artwork realized by Jim Dine in 1976. This piece is number 30 in the edition of 150. Printed on wove, ha...
Category
1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Glass, Wood, Paper
$3,840 Sale Price
20% Off
Custom Framed Lithograph by Marcel Vertes, Signed and Numbered
Located in Palm Desert, CA
This is a beautiful custom-framed lithograph by Hungarian-born French artist, Marcel Vertes, entitled "Circus Queens". The piece is signed, Vertes, in the lower right corner and numbered, "30/50" in the lower left corner. The image itself measures 23" high x 16" wide. The frame is a 2" thick 2 toned framed, black and a subtle cerused-like grey. It was originally sold through the Vincent Price...
Category
1950s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Wood
Mid-century GM Chevrolet Corvette Black & White Lithograph Print in Frame
Located in Van Nuys, CA
1950s black and white lithograph print featuring a Chevrolet Corvette at a dealership in its original black wood frame. Prints like this were used at local dealerships in their offic...
Category
1950s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Glass, Wood, Paper
$292 Sale Price
35% Off
Marc Chagall Framed Heliogravure Print from the 1956 Bible Collection
By Marc Chagall
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Discover a rare and exquisite black and white heliogravure print by the legendary Marc Chagall, depicting a biblical scene with the artist's signature ethereal quality. This print is...
Category
1950s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Paper
A Wonderful Set of Eight Famous Racehorses 1933 Framed & Glazed
Located in Pewsey, GB
A Framed and Glazed Set of Eight Photographic Prints of Famous Racehorses from the supplement to The Ilustrated Sporting and Dramatic News of 1933 for 2 year olds. Naming the Owner, ...
Category
1930s British Vintage Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Cut Glass, Paper
Mid-Century Margaret Layton Hand Colored & Signed Owl Framed Lithographs - S/2
Located in Kennesaw, GA
This is an offering for a set of two hand colored lithographs framed and matted under glass by Margaret Layton. She was known for her kitschy owls and street scenes in the 50s and 60...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Wood, Paper
François Gilot Original Lithograph: Timeless Beauty in Classic Framing, 1951
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Introducing an exquisite François Gilot original lithograph from the pages of André Verdet's poetic masterpiece, "Pages d'Amour," published by editions Raison d'être in 1951 and prin...
Category
1950s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Paper
Franz Priking Fantastic Horse Lithograph, Hand Signed
Located in Miami, FL
Franz PRIKING
Fantastic Horse (After the Storm), 1973
Original lithograph
Hand signed in pencil and in the plate.
Measures: 21 1/2" Wide x 25 1/2" High
Category
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Paper
Karl Blossfeldt Black White Flower Photogravure Botanic Photography, 1942
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Karl Blossfeldt Photogravure from the edition of the book 'Wunder in der Natur' in 1942.
Photography number 26. cosmos bipinatus (Compositae). Schmuckkörbchen, Mexiko-aster. Kelchblätter in 8 facher Vergrößerung.
In original condition, with minor wear consistent with age and use, preserving a beautiful patina.
Karl Blossfeldt (June 13, 1865-December 9, 1932) was a German photographer...
Category
1940s Spanish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Paper
Original Signed Art Exhibition Poster by Artist Ivicevic Slobodan, 1975
Located in Miami, FL
A beautiful original midcentury poster signed by listed artist Ivicevic Slobodan on July 2, 1975 in Nice, France during his exhibit at the famous L'Art Marginal.
As shown on the le...
Category
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Paper
Alexander Calder Lithographs
Located in Atlanta, GA
Selection of Alexander Calder color lithographs, France, circa 1960s. We purchased a group of these color lithographs from the estate of a couple that lived in France from 1951-1983....
Category
1960s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Glass, Paper, Wood
$750 / item
Selection of Modern Engravings, circa 1938
Located in Atlanta, GA
Selection of Modern Engravings, from a limited edition published in the December 1938 issue of the ground breaking modern art magazine XXe. They are framed in clean lined black lacquered wood gallery frames. They are priced at $550 each.
From left to right, top to bottom, they are:
1) Henri Matisse
2) Henri Laurens
3) Juan Miro...
Category
1930s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Paper
$550 / item
Helen Frankenthaler "Dream Walk" Lithograph, Signed and Numbered 39/47
Located in Toledo, OH
Helen Frankenthaler (1928-2011)
Six color lithograph, Dream Walk, 1977. Number 39 from an edition of 47, pencil lower left corner. Signed and dated 1977 in pencil in lower right cor...
Category
1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Paper
Marc Chagall Framed Heliogravure Print from the 1956 Bible Collection
By Marc Chagall
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Discover a rare and exquisite black and white heliogravure print by the legendary Marc Chagall, depicting a biblical scene with the artist's signature ethereal quality. This print is...
Category
1950s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Paper
Marc Chagall Framed Heliogravure Print from the 1956 Bible Collection
By Marc Chagall
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Discover a rare and exquisite black and white heliogravure print by the legendary Marc Chagall, depicting a biblical scene with the artist's signature ethereal quality. This print is...
Category
1950s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Paper
Vintage Botanical West German Biology Print Chart by Hagemann, Germany, 1960s
Located in Kirchlengern, DE
Vintage pull down chart
Original vintage school chart, by Jung-Koch Quentell
Paperprint on Linen. The canvas is fixed between two woo...
Category
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Linen
Bette Davis by Al Hirschfeld
Located in Richmond, VA
Etching of Bette Davis by artist Al Hirschfeld (1903-2003)
Hand signed and numbered 21 of 150. Etching was produced in very limited numbers in 1979.
Custom framed in a silver wood f...
Category
1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Paper
Joan Miro etching aquatint series of 30 on Japanese Paper , 1969
By Joan Miró
Located in La xara, VC
The work in question is part of a series of 30 prints on Japanese paper number with out sign
Provenance Paris around Broder Family publisher .last picture
Explanation:
Series of 3...
Category
1960s Spanish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Paper
"The First Green Muirfield" Golf Print with Original Sketch by Arthur Weaver
Located in San Diego, CA
Highly collectible "The First Green Muirfield" golf lithograph print with original sketch by noted links artist Arthur Weaver, circa 1969. The First Green Muirfield shows "the honour...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Paper
Mid Century Abstract Color Lithography signed and numbered, 1970s
Located in Berlin, DE
Crafted during the vibrant 1970s, this Mid Century Abstract Color Lithography, signed and numbered, is a testament to the era's artistic dynamism. The lithograph bursts with bold col...
Category
1970s German Vintage Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Cut Glass, Oak, Lacquer, Paper
James Rosenquist Vibrant Etching "Rouge Pad" 1978 (Signed and Numbered)
Located in New York, NY
"ROUGE PAD" (GLENN 134), an etching with aquatint, printed in colors, hand-signed in pencil, titled, and numbered in pencil 25/78 by James Rosenquist, American 1978 (Signed on front,...
Category
1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Gold Leaf
original Opart colour aquatint etching by Jacqueline de Butler
Located in Henley-on Thames, Oxfordshire
Artists proof of an Opart inspired multi plate colour aquatint etching by the French artist Jacqueline de Butler, also know just as "Debutler" This proof ca...
Category
1970s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Paper
Original Midcentury Abstract Art Exhibition Poster, Signed Rosso Dated 1975
Located in Miami, FL
Original midcentury abstract art exhibition poster with wonderful vivid colors of blue, red, green, beige, etc...
Very decorative, signed by t...
Category
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Paper
$220 Sale Price
25% Off
Framed Larousse Artwork, circa 1930
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Larousse Book Cover Framed from circa 1930.
In original condition, with minor wear consistent of age and use,
preserving a beautiful patina.
Category
1930s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Wood
Picasso 1961 Lithograph from Toros y Toreros — Crayon Drawing Reproduction
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
A vibrant original lithographic plate from Toros y Toreros, the celebrated 1961 monograph dedicated to Pablo Picasso’s exploration of the Spanish bullfight. Published by Éditions Cer...
Category
1960s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Paper
Selection of Modernist Lithographs or Gallery Wall
Located in Atlanta, GA
Selection of Modernist Lithographs or Gallery Wall, French and American, circa 1960s. They are, clockwise from top left:
1) Pablo Picasso lithograph, France, circa 1960s. It measure...
Category
1960s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Glass, Wood, Paper
Framed: Six Lithographs "White Lines Squares" After Josef Albers
By Josef Albers
Located in Houston, TX
Framed: six lithographs "White Lines Squares," 1966, after Josef Albers, by Blair Litho (Lithograph in brilliant Colors on paper, 1966). Published to accompany an exhibition held in ...
Category
1960s Vintage Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Glass, Wood, Paper
Eduardo Chillida's Abstract Odyssey: "Untitled" Lithography, 1999
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Embark on a visual journey through the abstract realm with Eduardo Chillida's mesmerizing lithography titled "Untitled," crafted in 1999. This limited edition piece, hand-numbered an...
Category
1990s Spanish Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Paper
Lithograph "Angkor Wat, Khmer Dance" 118/150 by Bernard Cathelin, French, 1968
Located in Philadelphia, PA
"Angkor Wat, Khmer Dance" / "Nuit à Angkor Vat, Danse Khmère"
French artist: Bernard Cathelin (1919-2004)
Pencil Signed, Titled and Numbered 118/150
Unframed Color Lithograph on Arc...
Category
1960s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Paper
Mid Century Modern Linocut
Located in Barcelona, ES
Mid Century Modern Linocut
By unknown artist
In original condition with minor wear consistent of age and use.
Category
1950s Spanish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Paper
Map of France, globe / Planisphere “Le Monde Politique”, National Geographic Ins
Located in Valladolid, ES
Outstanding 19th-century French map designed and published by the French National Geographic Institute following the Aïtoff Wagner cartographic projection, a type of projection used...
Category
1960s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Crystal
Marcel Duchamp Lithograph "Broyeuse de Chocolat No. 2", circa 1970
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Marcel Duchamp Lithograph "Broyeuse de Chocolat No. 2" – New York Graphic Society, 1972
Available for sale: A rare lithograph of Marcel Duchamp's iconic 1914 painting Broyeuse de Ch...
Category
1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Paper
Selection of Joan Miro Lithographs
Located in Atlanta, GA
Selection of Joan Miro color lithographs, French, circa 1960s. They are from the limited edition folio “Derriere le Miroir”, published by the legendary Galerie Maeght, circa 1960s. P...
Category
1960s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Glass, Wood, Paper
$650 / item
'Tallit Kattan' No. 9 /12, 1975, Lithograph by Sarah V. Gersouitz
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
'Tallit Kattan' No. 9 /12, 1975, Lithograph by Sarah V. Gersouitz
Sarah V. Gersovitz (Canadian, 20th)
Color Lithograph on woven paper
Titled 'Tallit Kattan'.
Pencil signed in low...
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Chrome
$716 Sale Price
20% Off
Framed Lithograph by Adja Yunkers
By Adja Yunkers
Located in New York, NY
Framed Lithograph by Adja Yunkers, circa 1960s.
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Paper
Karl Blossfeldt Black White Flower Photogravure Botanic Photography, 1942
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Karl Blossfeldt Photogravure from the edition of the book 'Wunder in der Natur' in 1942.
Photography number 43.
In original condition, w...
Category
1940s Spanish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Paper
1961 Moisès Villèlia Linocut — “Aumun”, No. 89/100, Illustrating a Poem
Located in Barcelona, ES
1961 Moisès Villèlia Linocut — “Aumun”, No. 89/100, Illustrating a Poem by Alain Arias-Misson, Framed & Free Worldwide Shipping
A constellation of biomorphic nodes and tendrils unfo...
Category
1960s Spanish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Paper
Vintage Nautilus or Seashell Stone Lithograph in a Mirrored Frame
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Striking limited edition stone lithograph of a nautilus shell signed John Matthew Moore, numbered 175/295 and presented in a beveled mirror frame.
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Glass
Alexander Calder "Derriere Le Miroir" n. 156 with Seven Lithographs by Maeght
Located in Milano, IT
Alexander Calder Catalog "Derrière Le Miroir" No. 156 - February 1966 - Complete with all pages, including seven Calder lithographs
"Derrière Le Miroir" is a portfolio of lithographs...
Category
1960s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Paper
Henri Matisse Limited Ed. Lithograph La Tristesse du Roi The Sadness of The King
Located in Studio City, CA
A wonderfully composed, boldly colored, abstract restrike lithograph print by French Impressionist/Modernist artist Henri Matisse (1869-1954) titled "La Tristesse du Roi (sometimes r...
Category
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Wood, Paper
Woodcut relief printing Winter Snow Cabin by K.Freitag
Located in Rümmingen, BW
The posters and prints may display signs of aging, such as paper discoloration, tears, folds, and other imperfections.
These pieces were part of an art collection owned by a German ...
Category
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Paper
Pablo Picasso: Sculptures, Dessins, Lithograph, Signed
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pablo Picasso, Spanish (1881-1973)
Picasso: Sculptures, Dessins
(Czwiklitzer 129) color lithograph and collotype on paper, 1958 (from an edition of 800); signed in pencil lower right...
Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Paper
Framed Original Technical Plan of Metalarte Lamp, circa 1953
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Framed Original Technical Plan of Metalarte Lamp.
Manufactured Spain, circa 1953.
Dimensions:
D 4 x W 45 H 62 cm
In original condition, with minor wear consistent with age...
Category
1950s Spanish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Wood, Paper
Kumi Sugaï, “Crossing 4”, 1978 — Signed & Numbered Silkscreen
By Kumi Sugai
Located in Weesp, NL
Kumi Sugaï, “Crossing 4”, 1978 — Signed & Numbered Silkscreen Printed by Ryoichi Ishida Studio
Offered here is a striking limited edition silkscreen by renowned Japanese-French artist Kumi Sugaï (1919–1996), titled “Crossing 4”, created in 1978. Known for his refined visual language merging Zen philosophy, Japanese calligraphy, and European modernism, Sugaï’s work resonates with clarity, movement, and meditative strength.
This particular work was printed by the prestigious Ryoichi Ishida printing company in Tokyo, a studio celebrated for its collaborations with contemporary masters including Andy Warhol. The print is hand-signed and numbered by the artist in pencil, marked 237/250, and was originally sold by Sarani Gallery in Tokyo in 1978 or 1979.
Title: Crossing 4
Date: 1978
Medium: Silkscreen on paper
Edition: 237/250, signed and numbered in pencil
Printer: Ryoichi Ishida Studio, Tokyo
Provenance: Sarani Gallery, Tokyo
Sheet size (unframed): 18 x 18 cm / 7.1 x 7.1 in
Condition: Excellent vintage condition, vibrant colors and sharp impression
Sugaï’s works are part of major international collections, including MoMA (New York), the Centre Pompidou (Paris), and The National Museum of Modern Art (Tokyo). His “Crossing” series is particularly admired for its rhythmic balance of form and color—embodying motion, intersection, and harmony.
This is a rare opportunity to acquire a signed print by a postwar master who bridged Eastern minimalism and Western abstraction, produced by one of the most respected printing studios of the 20th century.
Price includes frame. The Art will be shipped insured overseas in a custom made wooden case. Transport to the US, Euro 275, is case included.
Kumi Sugaï, one of the most internationally acclaimed Japanese painters of the twentieth century.
Colors may slightly vary due to photographic lighting sources or your monitor settings.
KUMI SUGAÏ, JAPAN (1919 - 1996)
Kumi Sugaï was a painter, sculptor and print maker born in 1919 in Kobe, Japan. Sugaï first experimented with oil painting at age nine and became a student at the Osaka School of Fine Arts in 1933 when he was fourteen. He met with the Gutai Art Association founder, Jiro Yoshihara which had a huge impact on his further artistic development and experimentalism. He was part of the first generation of 20th-century Japanese artists to become acquainted with Western painting techniques (under the instructions of Yoshihara), but he also explored both typography and Japanese calligraphy, important in his subsequent work. Sugaï left art school prematurely to work in commercial advertising for Hankyu electric rail company from 1937 to 1945.
These formative years of practicing Western and traditional Japanese mediums gave a dual foundation to his future work. He dedicated himself to painting and moved to Paris in 1952, enrolling at the Académie de la grand chaumière, being one of the first generation of the post-war Japanese artists to join the international avant-garde art scene. Sugai was immediately noticed in Paris for his delicate touch and use of abstract gestures resembling primitive forms. He had his first solo show at Galerie Craven in 1954. In 1955 he made his first work in edition (Diable Rouge, a lithograph) and decided that from now on print work (lithographs, etchings and later silkscreens) was going to be an important part of his oeuvre. One of the reasons was to make his work more accessible. Between 1955 and 1996 Sugaï produced a little under 400 works in edition.
Considered part of the École de Paris (School of Paris) and the Nouveau Réalisme (New Realism) movements, in 1962 he began to move from calligraphic, mainly monochromatic, organic motifs to more hard-edge geometric forms painted with clear colors. This aesthetic was more often than not influenced by speeding the curves of the freeways surrounding Paris in his beloved Porsche. He was possessed with speed and in a lot of his work we find abstracted roads (The S shape) details of roadsigns, parkings and in general an abstract visual language inspired by what he would see through his window moving at great speed. City and rural Landscapes transformed into simple colored compositions. Sugaï found great joy in the act of repetition and some iconic shapes have been appearing in his work throughout his whole career, first loosely and soft in his early etchings, paintings and lithographs, later hard edged and straight in his silkscreens.
Sugai died in Kobe in 1996.
His artworks were shown in numerous exhibitions around the world and most of his paintings are in the collections of well-known museums (Such as MOMA, the Guggenheim and Centre Pompidou) and important collectors. Vintage Objects...
Category
1970s Japanese Vintage Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Paper
Rare Charles Eames Herman Miller "Design of the Century" Advertising Poster
Located in South Bend, IN
An extremely rare Charles Eames "Design of the Century" advertising poster
By Herman Miller
USA, circa 1999
Measures: 25.13"W x 0.75"D x 37.13"H.
Excellent condition.
Category
1990s American Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Oak, Paper
Josef Albers Homage to the Square Silk Screen Diptych
By Josef Albers
Located in Chicago, IL
Josef Albers formulations - Articulations I & II
Edition 974/ 1000
1972 screen-print on paper
Embossed with Josef Albers initials, portfolio and folder...
Category
1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Paper
Lithography Print by HANS KÖHLE Titel Computer Art IBM Edition A 01 from 1972
Located in Rümmingen, BW
The posters and prints may display signs of aging, such as paper discoloration, tears, folds, and other imperfections.
These pieces were part of an art collection owned by a German ...
Category
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Paper
Circus II (Space Man), c. 1950, Letterio Calapai
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Letterio Calapai (1901-1993)
Circus II (Space Man), c. 1950
Image: 8.7/8″ (22.5 cm) by 6″ (15.2 cm)
Edition: 24/50, with full margins
Signed: In pencil, lower right margin, L. Calapa...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Paper
Poster Print Graphic Hermann Sturm Exhibition 1961
Located in Rümmingen, BW
The posters and prints may display signs of aging, such as paper discoloration, tears, folds, and other imperfections.
These pieces were part of an art collection owned by a German ...
Category
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Paper
Karl Blossfeldt Black White Flower Photogravure Botanic Photography, 1942
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Karl Blossfeldt Photogravure from the edition of the book 'Wunder in der Natur' in 1942.
In original condition, with minor wear consistent with age and use, preserving a beautiful...
Category
1940s Spanish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Paper
Karl Blossfeldt Black White Flower Photogravure Botanic Photography, 1942
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Karl Blossfeldt Photogravure from the edition of the book 'Wunder in der Natur' in 1942.
In original condition, with minor wear consistent with age and use, preserving a beautiful...
Category
1940s Spanish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Paper
Karl Blossfeldt Black White Flower Photogravure Botanic Photography, 1942
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Karl Blossfeldt Photogravure from the edition of the book 'Wunder in der Natur' in 1942.
Photography number 30. 'Chrysanthemum Leucanthemum. Gemeine Wucherblume, große Maßliebe, Mar...
Category
1940s Spanish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Paper
Leonor Fini, women and flower, rare print on paper
By Leonor Fini
Located in Saint ouen, FR
Leonor Fini, rare original serigraph on Rives paper, circa 1970
Rare print handsigned by surrealist artist Leonor Fini, inscreasingly esteemed with the movement of rediscovering art...
Category
1970s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Paper
Vintage Norman Rockwell Framed Print of Children Playing Marbles
Located in South Bend, IN
A vintage Norman Rockwell framed print of children playing marbles.
Recently procured from Frank Lloyd Wright's DeRhodes House.
Measures: 11.5"W ...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Glass, Wood, Paper
Selection of Joan Miro Lithographs
Located in Atlanta, GA
Selection of Joan Miro color lithographs, French, circa 1960s. They are from the limited edition folio “Derriere le Miroir”, published by the legendary Galerie Maeght, circa 1960s. P...
Category
1960s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Prints
Materials
Glass, Wood, Paper
$650 / item
Mid-century Modern prints for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Mid-Century Modern prints for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage prints created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include wall decorations, asian art and furniture, more furniture and collectibles and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with paper, wood and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Mid-Century Modern prints made in a specific country, there are Europe, North America, and United States pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original prints, popular names associated with this style include Karl Blossfeldt, (after) Joan Miró, Josef Albers, and (after) Pablo Picasso. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for prints differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $95 and tops out at $69,054 while the average work can sell for $1,092.
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