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Peter Max

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.

Average Sold Price
$1,383
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"Flag with Heart" Framed Limited Edition Lithograph
By Peter Max
Located in Chatsworth, CA
"Flag with Heart" is a limited edition lithograph on paper by Peter Max, numbered and hand signed by the artist. This piece comes framed. Includes Certificate of Authenticity from Pe...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Peter Max

Materials

Lithograph

"Cosmic Runner on Blends" Framed Limited Edition Lithograph
By Peter Max
Located in Chatsworth, CA
"Cosmic Runner on Blends" is a limited edition lithograph on paper by Peter Max, numbered and hand signed by the artist. This piece comes framed. Includes Certificate of Authenticity...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Peter Max

Materials

Lithograph

"Blushing Beauty" Framed Limited Edition Lithograph
By Peter Max
Located in Chatsworth, CA
"Blushing Beauty" is a limited edition lithograph on paper by Peter Max, numbered and hand signed by the artist. This piece comes framed. Includes Certificate of Authenticity from Pe...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Peter Max

Materials

Lithograph

COSMIC HOLIDAY Hand Drawn Lithograph, Dreamy Face Portrait, Psychedelic Pop Art
By Peter Max
Located in Union City, NJ
COSMIC HOLIDAY is an original hand drawn lithograph by Peter Max printed using traditional hand lithography techniques on archival Somerset printmaking paper, 100% acid free. COSMIC ...
Category

1980s Pop Art Peter Max

Materials

Lithograph

Composition Red & Green, Peter Max
By Peter Max
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Peter Max (1937) Title: Composition Red & Green Year: 1980 Edition: H.C. 12; aside from the edition of 165 Medium: Lithograph on Arches paper Size: 22 x 26 inches Condition: ...
Category

1980s Pop Art Peter Max

Materials

Lithograph

"Vase of Flowers XI" Framed Limited Edition Lithograph
By Peter Max
Located in Chatsworth, CA
"Vase of Flowers XI" is a limited edition lithograph on paper by Peter Max, numbered and hand signed by the artist. This piece comes framed. Includes Certificate of Authenticity from...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Peter Max

Materials

Lithograph

"Rainbow with Clouds" Framed Limited Edition Lithograph
By Peter Max
Located in Chatsworth, CA
"Rainbow with Clouds" is a limited edition lithograph on paper by Peter Max, numbered and hand signed by the artist. This piece comes framed. Includes Certificate of Authenticity fro...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Peter Max

Materials

Lithograph

"Flower Jumper Over Sunrise on Blends II" Framed Limited Edition Lithograph
By Peter Max
Located in Chatsworth, CA
"Liberty Head" is a limited edition lithograph on paper by Peter Max, numbered and hand signed by the artist. This piece comes framed. Includes Certificate of Authenticity from Peter...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Peter Max

Materials

Lithograph

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Artists Similar to Peter Max

Peter Max art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Peter Max art available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of art to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of blue, red, pink and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Peter Max in lithograph, paint, screen print 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 art, so small editions measuring 3 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of KAWS, Heidler & Heeps, and Mauro Oliveira. Peter Max art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $360 and tops out at $150,000, while the average work can sell for $1,500.
Questions About Peter Max
  • 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 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 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.

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