Significant Prints by Alex Katz and Alexander Calder Come to Sale with Bonhams

Born in a Jewish-Russian émigré family, artist Alex Katz grew up in St. Albans, Queens, a diverse neighborhood in New York. His interest in printmaking began in 1965. The artist produced many works in etching, silkscreen, woodcut, linoleum cut, and lithography. His paintings reflect his vision of modern life, seeking inspiration from billboard advertising, movies, poetry, and music. The upcoming Bonhams auction will feature Katz’s Eleuthera, a 1999 screenprint in colors on Rives paper, signed in pencil and numbered ‘PP 1/5’. It is co-published by the artist and Brand X Projects, Inc., and printed by Brand X Editions, Inc., New York. It depicts two women donning swimwear and bathing caps, standing in a casual pose with one’s arms resting on the shoulders of the other. This silkscreen was created from the second section of a four-paneled painting portraying bathers from Eleuthera. 

Another bright-hued work in the auction, titled Dolphin, is Alexander Calder’s lithograph on wove paper. The American sculptor was also a skilled printmaker, known for his lithographs based on his gouache paintings. He uses black and primary colors to create various forms, including biomorphic shapes. Visit Bonhams to view the complete catalog and register to bid in the upcoming Prints & Multiples Summer Splash sale.