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.
$432Sale Price|20% Off
H 36 in W 24 in
Max, Angel with Heart III, Hand Signed, Official Edition, Peter Max (after)
By Peter Max
Located in Fairfield, CT
Title: Angel with Heart III Year: 2000 Medium: Offset lithograph in colors on gloss archival paper Size: 36 x 24 inches Inscription: Hand signed by Peter Max in ink and unnumbered, a...
Offset
$23,600
H 49 in W 38 in D 1 in
Angel with Heart Original Acrylic Painting on Canvas, Custom Framed, 49 x 38 in.
By Peter Max
Located in Aventura, FL
Original acrylic painting on canvas. Hand signed on front by Peter Max. Canvas size 36 x 24 inches. Frame size approx 49 x 38 inches. Studio catalog number and stamp on verso. Ar...
Canvas, Acrylic
$5,800
H 36 in W 27 in
ANGEL WITH HEART Signed Lithograph, Pop Art Guardian Angel, 1990
By Peter Max
Located in Union City, NJ
ANGEL WITH HEART is an original hand drawn limited edition lithograph by the pop culture icon - Peter Max, printed using traditional hand lithography techniques on archival Arches printmaking paper 100% acid free. ANGEL WITH HEART is an Inspiring and expressive portrait of a winged Pop Art Guardian Angel with gleaming red heart and glowing halo rendered in rich lavender tones and rainbow colors. Max's bold colors, uplifting images and his unconventional artistic diversity have touched almost every period of American culture. Peter Max is well known for his leading role in the psychedelic art of the hippie generation. Print size - 36 x 27 inches, unframed, excellent condition, fresh vivid colors, full bleed image, pencil signed by Peter Max Edition size - 300 Year published - 1990 Printer - J K Fine Art Editions Co. NY German/American artist: b. 1937, Peter Max spent his childhood in Shanghai. From China, the family went to Tibet for a year, and then on to Israel. Peter Max's family's odyssey continued to Paris, and finally, at the age of 16, Max arrived in the United States. Peter Max began his art studies in New York at the Art Student's League and continued at the Pratt Institute and School of Visual Arts. Peter Max, recognised throughout the world and a well-known name in America, is famous for his new age style, cosmic imagery and multi-colored blends. During the late 1960's and early 70's, Peter Max's colorful award winning art reached millions of people. Peter Max's paintings, drawings, sculpture and limited edition graphics have been exhibited in major museums throughout the world. American icons, especially the Statue of Liberty, appear repeatedly in his art repertoire. Returning to the public art scene in the ‘80s...
Lithograph
"Abstract Flowers I" Serigraph on Wove Paper by Peter Max
By Peter Max
Located in San Diego, CA
"Abstract Flowers I" serigraph on wove paper by Peter Max, circa 2017. The piece is a unique work with very vibrant and bright colors and is hand signed "Max" in lower right hand co...
Acrylic, Wood
Red Angel with heart II, Pop Art Poster by Peter Max
By Peter Max
Located in Long Island City, NY
Peter Max, German/American (1937 - ) - Red Angel with heart II, Year: 2000, Medium: Poster, signed and dedicated in marker, Size: 36 x 24 in. (91.44 x 60.96 cm)
Offset
Heart on Blends, Peter Max
By Peter Max
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Peter Max (1937) Title: Heart on Blends Year: 2005 Edition: 500/500, plus proofs Medium: Lithograph on Lustro Saxony paper Size: 12.75 x 10 inches Condition: Excellent Inscri...
Lithograph
Heart Series IV, Peter Max
By Peter Max
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Peter Max (1937) Title: Heart Series IV Year: 1998 Edition: 300/300, plus proofs Medium: Lithograph on Coventry Smooth paper Size: 5 x 4 inches Condition: Excellent Inscripti...
Lithograph
Heart with Profile
By Peter Max
Located in Missouri, MO
Peter Max Heart and Profile c. 2005 Serigraph with Acrylic Paint Hand Signed by the Artist Image Size: approx. 14 x 12.5 Frames Size: approx. 27 x 24.5 inches
Acrylic, Lithograph
Heart Series VI, Peter Max
By Peter Max
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Peter Max (1937) Title: Heart Series VI Year: 1998 Edition: 300/300, plus proofs Medium: Lithograph on Coventry Smooth paper Size: 5 x 4 inches Condition: Excellent Inscripti...
Lithograph
Blue Angel With Heart, Peter Max
By Peter Max
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Peter Max (1937) Title: Blue Angel With Heart Year: 2003 Edition: 500/500, plus proofs Medium: Lithograph on archival paper Size: 11.31 x 7.88 inches Condition: Excellent Ins...
Lithograph
Signed Lithograph on Foil Movie Poster for Musical Western "Paint Your Wagon"
By Peter Max
Located in Houston, TX
Lithograph on foil movie poster for the musical western movie "Paint Your Wagon" designed by Peter Max. These posters were distributed to exhibitors show...
Foil
"Sacred" Angel Abstract Figurative Portrait with Snake, Bird, and Fish Painting
Located in Houston, TX
Beautifully executed watercolor painting by Joanna Ballard that depicts a nude angel standing over a resting figure. The composition includes many diverse hues that range in opacity....
Paper, Watercolor
Colorful Modern Abstract Red, Pink, and Green Geometric Lithograph AP
Located in Houston, TX
Colorful modern abstract lithograph by modern Texas artist Allan Otho Smith. The work features a series of geometric shapes in red, pink, and green tones. The use of complementary co...
Lithograph
"Montreal Olympics 1976" Colorful Abstract Expressionist Figurative Lithograph
By LeRoy Neiman
Located in Houston, TX
Colorful abstract expressionist lithograph celebrating the 1976 Olympics in Montreal Canada by American artist LeRoy Neiman. The work f...
Lithograph
"Languor of Love" Contemporary Figurative Screen Print Edition 268 of 295
By Mark Kostabi
Located in Houston, TX
Pop art style figurative screenprint with two sets of figures in an embrace on cube shapes. In the middle is a lone figure with their head resting on their hand. The screenprint is a...
Screen
"How Old Are You?" Contemporary Colorful Pink and Blue Figurative Abstract
By Richard Fluhr
Located in Houston, TX
Colorful contemporary figurative abstract by Texas based artist Richard E. Fluhr. The work features a pair of embracing figures in pink and orange tones set against a blue background...
Paper, Acrylic
