Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Graphite on colored paper. This work is unique. Work comes with a Certificate of Provenance from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts issued by Christie’s. Stamped on the v...

Crashing Waves - Big Sur Coastal Cove Original Oil on Masonite Dramatic small-scale, professionally framed seascape by Stephen John Skerce (American, 1926-2010). Waves crashing into a Big Sure Cove and Seagulls gliding on the wind currents. Well known for many years on the Monterey coast for his seascapes and beach scenes. Signed "Skerce" in the lower right corner. Signed "Stephen Reno Skerce" on verso, with the artists Mountain View Studio stamp on frame. Presented in a wood frame with a linen liner. Frame size: 12.5"H x 14.75"W Board size: 5"H x 7"W Stephen John Skerce (American, 1926-2010) was a painter from Monterey, California. He received his formal art training from the Chicago Art Institute, Salinas Art School, and the Academie Julien in Paris, France. He is known for his landscapes, seascapes, and harbor scenes. He was an artist with both the Valley Art Gallery in Salinas and Venture Gallery in Monterey. He was also served in the US Marine Corps.

Takashi Murakami Untitled signed original drawing of Two Flowers with heart doodle, 2021 Original marker drawing done on title page and bound in hardback monograph with purple boards...

Takashi Murakami Unique drawing (Two Flowers) created for the Modern Art Museum, Ft. Worth, Texas, 2018 Original drawing done in marker, and bound on title page of hardback monograph...

Ruth Cobb (American, 1914-2008) Untitled, c. 20th century Watercolor and mixed media on paper Sight: 19 3/4 x 28 1/2 in. Framed: 33 1/2 x 41 3/4 x 1 3/4 in. Signed lower right Born ...

Detail of Michelangelo's David - 1999 Original Pastel on Paper Original 1999 pastel drawing of a close up of Michelangelo's 'David' by California artist Christopher Baker (American,...

This artwork titled "Livermore Valley Ranch" c.1960, is a watercolor on paper by American artist Dale Allen Miller, 1917-2005. It is signed at the lower right corner by the artist. T...

"The Artists Wife" Realistic Nude Woman in Conté on Paper by Garth Benton Detailed nude drawing by Paul "Garth" Garfield Benton (American, 1940-2012). Portrait of Christine Rosamond...

This artwork titled "Nude Reading" c.1970, is a watercolor on paper by noted California artist William Jack Laycox, 1921-1984. It is signed at he lower right corner by the artist. Th...

This artwork "At the Dock" c.1980 is a watercolor on 500 Aquarelle paper by noted American artist Allen Daniel (Dan) Burt, 1930-2004. It is signed at the lower right corner by the ar...

This artwork titled "Market Street, San Francisco" c.1960 is a watercolor on paper by noted California artist William Jack Laycox, 1921-1984. It is signed at he lower right corner by...

This artwork titled "The Triumphal Arch, Leningrad" c.1960 is a watercolor on paper by noted California artist William Jack Laycox, 1921-1984. It is signed at he lower right corner b...

Gilbert & George (British, b. 1942 and 1943) The World of Gilbert & George: The Storyboard, 2001 Medium: Ink wash drawing on paper (and artist’s book) Dimensions: 20.3 x 29.2 cm (8 x...

This artwork titled "Saint Isaac's Cathedral, Leningrad" c.1960 is a watercolor on paper by noted California artist William Jack Laycox, 1921-1984. It is signed at he lower right cor...

Alice Kent Stoddard 1885-1976 Sledders (circa 1950-1960) Black chalk on card Image Dimensions: 19.75 x 16 inches (50.2 x 40.6 cm) Framed Dimensions: 26.5 x 22.3 inches Signed lower...

KAWS Untitled cloud drawing, 2010 Marker on colored paper Signed, dated and inscribed in marker Frame included Signed, dated and inscribed to Froggie in marker Floated and framed in...

Charles Burchfield (American, 1893-1967 Village Scene, 1921 Ink, pencil and watercolor on paper Signed and dated lower right 11 x 8.5 inches 17.75 x 14.75 inches, framed Born in Ash...

Ronnie Cutrone Original bird drawing (hand signed and inscribed by Ronnie Cutrone), 1990 Original signed drawing done in marker held in hardback monograph with dust jacket Boldly signed, dated and inscribed by Ronnie Cutrone on the first front end page 11 × 9 1/2 × 3/4 inches Original signed drawing done in marker held in monograph, dated and inscribed by Ronnie Cutrone on the first front end page. The inscription reads: For David & Barbara Ronnie Cutrone 90 Book information: Publisher: ‎ Martin Lawrence Limited Editions, (January 1, 1990) English; Hardcover; 46 pages with 44 color and 11 monochrome illustrations About Ronnie Cutrone: Ronnie Cutrone (July 10, 1948 – July 21, 2013) was an American pop artist known for his large-scale paintings of some of America's favorite cartoon characters, such as Felix the Cat, Pink Panther, Woody Woodpecker and No Glove No Love. Cutrone's paintings are colorful, lively, and less challenging than those of his contemporaries. As Andy Warhol's assistant at the Factory atop the Decker Building from 1972 until 1980, Cutrone worked with Warhol on paintings, prints, films, and other concepts, eventually co-opting Warhol's earliest work (pre-1960) as well as works by Roy Lichtenstein and others, until finally distilling those myriad influences into the style a few critics eventually labeled "Post-Pop." He exhibited at the Niveau Gallery in 1979 with a Scottish artist called Mike Gall who showed paintings of Snoopy, Mickey and Minnie mouse, the Pink Panther and also a small series of Peter Rabbit paintings...

Untitled, 1997 Colored pencil on paper S. 12 x 9 in. (30.5 x 22.9 cm) Signed and dated, lower right, and titled on the top margin

"59th Street Bridge" is a 22" x 30" watercolor on paper cityscape of the Brooklyn Bridge and city skyline, painted by Pennsylvania Impressionist and...

This artwork "Sonoma County Landscape" 1901, is a watercolor on paper by noted California artist Elizabeth Hoen, 1868-1955. It is signed and dated at the lower right corner by the ar...

This artwork "Tree" c.1980, is a pastel drawing on paper by noted American artist Albert Handell, b.1937. It is signed at the lower right corner by the artist. The artwork (Image) size is 15.5 x 21 inches, framed size is 24.25 x 28.75 inches. Custom framed in original wooden gold with brown patina frame, with off-white matting. It is in excellent condition, the frame have some small minor restorations, practically invisible. About the artist: ALBERT HANDELL was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1937. At an early age, a favorite activity of his was drawing with chalks...

This artwork "Sonoma County Landscape" 1901, is a watercolor on paper by noted California artist Elizabeth Hoen, 1868-1955. It is signed and dated at the lower right corner by the ar...

Vivid watercolor of a country house and grove of trees in a rural landscape of rolling green hills, with farm animals in the distance, by California artist Rene Weaver (American, 189...

Frederick Bosley was an Impressionist painter of the Boston School who most often depicted portraits, figures and still-lifes. The artist was born in Lebanon, New Hampshire in 1881. He studied at the Museum School in Boston from 1900-1906 with Edmund C. Tarbell (1862-1938) and Frank W. Benson (1862-1951), and then in Europe from 1906-1908. Bosley returned to Boston in 1909, obtaining a studio at the Fenway Studios from 1909-1918. He was to become a teacher in his own right, settling as Director at the Museum School from 1913-1931. His many awards include First prize in the 1920 Concord Art Academy Exhibition and a Gold Medal in the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts Exhibition, 1925. His work may be found in the collections of several institutions, including the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the Farnsworth Museum, the National Academy of Design and the Concord Academy...

Keith Haring Original Handwritten, hand signed Letter, ca. 1987 Ink on Haring's Private letterhead Stationery, Hand written and hand signed by Keith...

From the estate of the artist. Frederick Bosley was an Impressionist painter of the Boston School who most often depicted portraits, figures and still-lifes. The artist was born in Lebanon, New Hampshire in 1881. He studied at the Museum School in Boston from 1900-1906 with Edmund C. Tarbell (1862-1938) and Frank W. Benson (1862-1951), and then in Europe from 1906-1908. Bosley returned to Boston in 1909, obtaining a studio at the Fenway Studios from 1909-1918. He was to become a teacher in his own right, settling as Director at the Museum School from 1913-1931. His many awards include First prize in the 1920 Concord Art Academy Exhibition and a Gold Medal in the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts Exhibition, 1925. His work may be found in the collections of several institutions, including the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the Farnsworth Museum, the National Academy of Design and the Concord Academy...

Minimalist Figurative Drawing by Cuban artist Juan Carlos Vazquez Lima Juan Carlos was born in Havana Cuba June 30th 1986. He Studied at Eduardo Garcia Delgado School of Art. He cur...

This artwork titled "State Capitol at night, Sacramento, California" c.1960 is a watercolor on paper by noted California artist William Jack Laycox, 1921-1984. It is signed at he low...

Figurative landscape of four infantrymen in formation with their long arquebus guns by Adolphe Ancker (Dutch, 19th Century), after Marchetti. Signed and dated "Adolph Ancker 1888" lo...

ARTIST— Juan Carlos Vazquez Lima Juan Carlos was born in Havana Cuba June 30th 1986. He Studied at Eduardo Garcia Delgado School of Art. He currently lives and works in Havana. PAI...

Charles UzzelEdwards, aka Pure Evil, is an English artist born in 1968.Direct descendant of the philosopher Tomas More (inventor of the concept of utopia), and son of expressionist p...

Radek Husak, a contemporary process-driven mixed media artist, was born in Poland in 1984. With a Master’s degree from the Royal College of Art, his practice is firmly situated in th...

This artwork titled "St Emilion" c.1970, is a watercolor by American artist Wayne Ensrud, b.1934. It is signed at the lower right side by the artist. The artwork size is 19 x 24 inch...

Rad Husak, a contemporary process-driven mixed media artist, was born in Poland in 1984. With a Master’s degree from the Royal College of Art, his practice is firmly situated in the ...

Vibrant scene of visitors arriving by camels at the Peking Bell Tower by William Clothier Watts (American 1967-1961). This piece is unsigned, bu...

"Zoltan" - 1990 Male Nude Study Watercolor painting depicting a nude male figure. The brunette male figure is posing, seated on a purple cloth, his left hand gripping a table net to him, while he leans on his right elbow, his face looking straight ahead. The background is made up of hues of green. Signed "AG" lower left. Signed, titled and dated on verso. "Arnold Grossman, 'Zoltan' November 1990" Presented in a white mat. Image with mat: 19"H x 22"W Image: 10.5"H x 14.5"W Sheet: 12"H x 16"W Arnold A...

Alighiero Boetti (Turin 1940 - Rome 1994), Untitled (Time) (1985) Mixed media on paper 70 x 50 cm signed in the bottom center, also at the bottom is an openwork inscription I vedent...

Woman with child Watercolor on paper, c. 1930 Signed with the estate stamp lower right (see photo) Exhibited: Marbella Gallery, New York Illustrated: Robert Hallowell: An Artist Redi...

Richard Corman Portrait of Jean-Michel Basquiat: Monotype (hand signed twice by Richard Corman), 2015 Silkscreen monotype on 320 gram Coventry Rag paper with deckled edges Signed twi...

This artwork "Man Fishing in a Lake" c.1980, is a gouache on paper by noted Montana artist Shirley Cleary, b.1942. It is signed at the lower right corner by the artist. The artwork (image) size is 7 x 20 inches, framed size is 14.65 x 27.75 inches. Custom framed in a wooden gold frame, with light green matting and gold color spacer. It is in excellent condition, the frame have a very small minor restoration, practically invisible. About the artist: Shirley Cleary was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1942. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Washington University in St. Louis in 1964, studied at the University of Valencia in Spain in 1965, and at the Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia in 1966, in Rome in 1967, and received her Masters of Fine Arts in 1968. Shirley Cleary received her BFA Degree from Washington University in St. Louis and her MFA Degree from Tyler School of Art of Temple University in Philadelphia and Rome, Italy. She also studied at the University of Valencia (Spain) and the Corcoran in Washington, DC. She was born in St. Louis, Missouri, has lived in Montana since 1971 and spends part of the winter painting and fishing in New Zealand. Her paintings have been featured in many publications including "American Artist", "Art West", "The Artist's Magazine", "US Art", "Inform Art", "Fly Fisher's Magazine", "Angler's Journal", "Disegnare & Dipingere" and in several issues of "Wildlife Art". She is listed in Samuel's "Contemporary Western Artists", "An Encyclopedia of Women Artists of the American West" and "Who's Who in American Art" (since 1987). Shirley has participated in many invitational and juried exhibitions including a one woman exhibition at the American Museum of Flyfishing in Manchester, Vermont and group exhibitions including "Women Artists of the West" at the Tucson Museum of Art in Arizona; Maryland Waterfowl Festival; Easton Academy of the Arts (Maryland) "the Art of Flyfishing-A Visual History"; Foothills Art Center (Golden, Colorado), "Rivers: The Song of Life", "Stampede Western Invitational Exhibit", (Greeley, Colorado); The Southeast Wildlife Festival in Charleston, South Carolina; "Wild Thing" and "The Artful Angler" and the CM Russell Auction at CM Russell Museum (Great Falls, Montana). Her work is licensed through Wild Wings, Inc., Lake City, Minnesota. Shirley was the winner of the 1990 Oregon Trout Stamp/Print competition and the 1992 Association of Northwest Steelheaders Stamp/ Print. In 1999 she received the "Communication in Conservation Award" from National Trout Unlimited and was the 2001 print...

Seated Male Nude in Charcoal on Paper Figurative piece with a nude male by Santa Cruz and San Francisco artist Heather Speck (American, b. 1978). The...

Sister Mary Corita Kent Love You, ca. 1975 Original signed watercolor painting on paper Signed in graphite pencil on the recto Floated and framed in white wood frame This is a unique...

ARTIST— Juan Carlos Vazquez Lima Juan Carlos was born in Havana Cuba June 30th 1986. He Studied at Eduardo Garcia Delgado School of Art. He currently lives and works in Havana. PAI...

Seated Female Nude in Charcoal on Paper Figurative piece with a nude woman by Santa Cruz and San Francisco artist Heather Speck (American, b. 1978). The model is seated, with her he...

Synthetic polymer drawing on paper. Unsigned. Warhol Foundation stamp on verso. Sheet size 31.5 x 23.5 inches. Custom framed as pictured. Artwork is in excellent condition. Cert...

ARTIST— Juan Carlos Vazquez Lima Juan Carlos was born in Havana Cuba June 30th 1986. He Studied at Eduardo Garcia Delgado School of Art. He currently lives and works in Havana. PAI...

Kenny Scharf Original drawing on Tony Shafrazi poster, signed and inscribed to Andy Warhol's last boyfriend Jon Gould, 1984 Permanent marker drawing on Kenny Scharf Tony Shafrazi Gallery exhibition poster (hand signed and inscribed by Kenny Scharf) Boldly signed and inscribed to Andy Warhol's last boyfriend Jon Gould Frame included: Framed in a museum quality wood frame with UV plexiglass. Measurements: Frame: 35 x 28.5 x 1.5 inches Print 28.25 x 22 inches Own a piece of Pop Art history! This is a unique drawing hand signed and inscribed by Kenny Scharf, done on a vintage collectible 1984 poster from the legendary Tony Shafrazi Gallery. If you saw "The Andy Warhol Diaries" on Netflix, you'd know about Warhol's relationship with Jon Gould - Andy's last boyfriend; tragically, Warhol would become Gould's last boyfriend as well, when, soon after, Gould would die of AIDS at the young age of 33 Kenny Scharf created an original drawing, done in marker, and inscribed it to Jon Gould (featured prominently in Andy Warhol's Diaries and the eponymous Netflix series) - and it had not been seen since the 1980s. Jon Gould was a New England educated former Vice President of Corporate Communications at Paramount Pictures - a Boston Brahmin whose real claim to fame was as Andy Warhol's last boyfriend. This work was acquired from the widely publicized sale of the collection of Jon Gould - -a treasure trove of valuable gifts and art works by Warhol and others like Kenny Scharf, Basquiat and Keith Haring to Gould - that had not been seen in nearly four decades. This is one of the works from that impressive sale. Below are links to two of the many articles about the collection of Jon Gould in the New York Times, Artnet News and the New York Post respectively. About Kenny Scharf: Kenny Scharf (b. 1958, United States) is a renowned artist affiliated with the 1980’s East Village Art movement in New York. Scharf developed a distinct and uniquely personal artistic style in paintings as well as sculpture, alongside his mentor Andy Warhol, and contemporaries like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring with whom he pioneered contemporary street art. References to popular culture reoccur throughout his works, such as appropriated cartoon characters from the Flintstones and Jetsons, as well as imagined anthropomorphic creatures. Through ecstatic compositions and a dazzling color palette, Scharf presents an immersive viewing experience that is both intimate and fresh. Scharf’s multifaceted practice—spanning painting, sculpture, installation work, murals, performance and fashion—reflects his dedication to the creation of dynamic forms of art that deconstruct existing artistic hierarchies, echoing the philosophy of Pop artists. Yet Scharf’s artistic significance expands beyond the art historical terrain of Pop Art; the artist instead coined the term “Pop Surrealist” to describe his one-of-a-kind practice. His inclusion in the 1985 Whitney Biennial marked the start of his international phenomenon, a reputation that continues to thrive today. Courtesy of Almine Rech MORE ABOUT JON GOULD: Warhol wrote extensively on Jon Gould in his diaries. In July, 2022, when the Netflix series "The Andy Warhols Diaries" came out, the New York Post (among many other publications) ran a major feature article on Warhol's relationship with Gould and on this very sale: It reads, "When Harriet Woodsom Gould died in 2016 in her nineties, she left behind a trove of family heirlooms dating back to the 1700s in her Amesbury, Mass., home. Yet in her attic, she had a secret veritable shrine to pop art. There, she had stashed her late son Jon Gould’s belongings for decades since his death in 1986 from AIDS. He had vases painted by Jean-Michel Basquiat, works by Keith Haring and dozens and dozens of gifts — photos, valentines, sketches, letters and more — from pop god Andy Warhol. “My mother kept everything,” Jon’s twin brother, Jay Gould, told The Post. Jay knew his brother “had some type of relationship” with Warhol in the 1980s, though Jon always remained discreet about it. “We were very close, identical twins, but we never talked a lot about his sexuality,” Jay, now 68, explained. “It was a different time.” Yet, he was still stunned to read the poetry and love notes Jon wrote to the older artist. “I didn’t realize the relationship was as deep as it was.” Actually, no one really knew. Gould was Warhol’s last romance, a young Paramount executive with floppy hair and preppy good looks who died tragically at 33. And though Warhol frequently mentioned him in his famed diaries, published posthumously in 1989, the artist’s dashed-off musings gave the impression that Jon was more of a crush than a genuine partner...Gould didn’t so much enter into Warhol’s life as Warhol willed him into it. It was April 1981, and Warhol, then 52, was still reeling from his breakup with Jed Johnson... Jed left that December, and that spring Warhol confessed to feeling lonely: “I’ve got these desperate feelings that nothing means anything. And then I decide that I should try to fall in love, and that’s what I’m doing now with Jon Gould.” Gould was a 26-year-old Paramount exec: a New England WASP with a lithe, strong physique and charismatic personality, who looked straight. Warhol reasoned: “Jon is a good person to be in love with because he has his own career, and I can develop movie ideas with him, you know? And maybe he can even convince Paramount to advertise in Interview, too. Right? So my crush on him will be good for business.” Warhol began courting Gould with a vengeance, sending extravagant bouquets of roses to his office at Paramount. He even offered their mutual friend, the photographer Christopher Makos, a fancy watch if he could get Gould to be his boyfriend. “I guess he never got loved,” Makos says in the series. “Because I didn’t get my watch.” (Jay Gould also tells the camera that his brother had admitted that he was in a relationship but that he said they didn’t have sex.) At first, Gould resisted Warhol’s attention, but eventually the two began spending a lot of time together, though Gould would frequently pull away if things got too intense, and he often would tell Warhol not to write about him in his diary. “I think my brother was concerned about his career at that time,” Jay Gould said. But the younger man attended parties and art events with him, invited the artist skiing with his family in Aspen and even for a time moved into his place on 66th Street. “I love going out with Jon because it’s like being on a real date,” Warhol wrote early in their relationship. “He’s tall and strong and I feel like he can take care of me.” Yet it turned out that Warhol would have to take care of Gould. On Feb. 4, 1984, Jon was admitted to New York Hospital with pneumonia — though it was understood that he had AIDS. Warhol stayed with him in the hospital every night for the 30 days he was there, despite his fear of hospitals since getting shot and his fear of getting AIDS. (Warhol couldn’t bring himself to talk about Gould’s illness in the diary, but his editor notes that when Gould was released March 7, Warhol instructed his housekeepers to wash Jon’s clothes and dishes “separate from mine.”). Around 1985, Warhol began working on his massive series of 100 works based on Da Vinci’s “The Last Supper...

Seated Nude in Charcoal on Paper Figurative piece with a nude model by Santa Cruz and San Francisco artist Heather Speck (American, b. 1978). The model is seated, with one leg bent ...

ARTIST— Juan Carlos Vazquez Lima Juan Carlos was born in Havana Cuba June 30th 1986. He Studied at Eduardo Garcia Delgado School of Art. He currently lives and works in Havana. PAI...

ARTIST— Juan Carlos Vazquez Lima Juan Carlos was born in Havana Cuba June 30th 1986. He Studied at Eduardo Garcia Delgado School of Art. He currently lives and works in Havana. PAI...

Painting measures 22" x 28" and framed 26" x 32" x 2" Hand-signed "J.E. Costigan NA 1952" lower left. About this artist: John Costigan was a self-taught painter distinguished by h...

Fishing Boats Along The Coast Watercolor painting depicting two fishing boats and fishermen along the oceanside by Robert Wayne Daley (American, 1922-1999). Rocks make up a pathway along the beach, while fishermen pull boats along the shore. Blue skies, with the ocean and hilltops making up the near distance. Signed "Robert W Daley...

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...

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- ) ...

ARTIST— Juan Carlos Vazquez Lima Juan Carlos was born in Havana Cuba June 30th 1986. He Studied at Eduardo Garcia Delgado School of Art. He currently lives and works in Havana. PAI...

Takashi Murakami Original hand signed Flower Drawing on limited edition skateboard, 2017 Unique Flower Drawing in Marker on skateboard. Signed by Murakami Flower drawing done in marker and boldly signed by Murakami 31 × 8 × 1/4 inches The skate deck was issued unsigned, but this one was, exceptionally hand signed with a flower drawing by Murakami at Complexcon in 2017. Note measurements of 31 x 8 inches apply to each skate deck. This limited edition Murakami skate deck was created and sold exclusively at the 2017 Complexcon convention and is already considered a collectors' item. About Takashi Murakami: We want to see the newest things. That is because we want to see the future, even if only momentarily. It is the moment in which, even if we don’t completely understand what we have glimpsed, we are nonetheless touched by it. This is what we have come to call art. —Takashi Murakami Drawing from traditional Japanese painting, sci-fi, anime, and the global art market, Takashi Murakami creates paintings, sculptures, and films populated by repeated motifs and mutating characters of his own creation. His wide-ranging work embodies an intersection of pop culture, history, and fine art. Murakami earned a BA, MFA, and PhD from Tokyo University of the Arts, where he studied nihonga (traditional Japanese painting). In 1996 he established the Hiropon Factory, a studio/workshop that in subsequent years grew into an art production and artist management company, now known as Kaikai Kiki Co. Ltd. Since the early 1990s Murakami has invented characters that combine aspects of popular cartoons from Japan, Europe, and the US—from his first Mr. DOB, who sometimes serves as a stand-in for the artist himself, to various anime characters and smiling flowers, bears, and lions. These figures act as icons and symbols—hosts for more complex themes of violence, technology, and fantasy. In 2000 Murakami curated Superflat, an exhibition featuring works by artists whose techniques and mediums synthesize various aspects of Japanese visual culture, from ukiyo-e (woodblock prints of the Edo period) to anime and kawaii (a particular cuteness in cartoons, handwriting, products, and more). With this exhibition, Murakami advanced his Superflat theory of art, which highlights the “flatness” of Japanese visual culture from traditional painting to contemporary subcultures in the context of World War II and its aftermath. Murakami’s work extends to mass-produced items such as toys, key chains, and t-shirts. In 2002 he began a multiyear collaboration with Marc Jacobs on the redesign of the Louis Vuitton monogram. Murakami then took the radical step of directly incorporating the Vuitton monograms and patterns into his paintings and sculptures. While Murakami’s imagery may appear to present unprecedented characters and forms, many contain explicit art historical references, and some are even direct contemporary updates on traditional Japanese works. In 2009 Murakami and the esteemed art historian Nobuo Tsuji began a creative dialogue centered on a group of Japanese artists known as the Edo eccentrics. This collaboration led to an exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston in 2017, for which Murakami and Tsuji selected Japanese works from the museum’s collection and showed them alongside works by Murakami. The latter included Dragon in Clouds—Red Mutation: The version I painted myself in annoyance after Professor Nobuo Tsuji told me, “Why don’t you paint something yourself for once?” (2010), a red monochrome version of the famous eighteenth-century painting Dragon and Clouds by Soga Shōhaku...

"Standing Figure" Nude in Charcoal and Color Pencil on Paper Beautiful modern figure drawing of a nude woman by Bay Area Artist George Wishon (A...