Peter Max Original Sunset Reeds II 1997 Signed Acrylic on Canvas Painting

Artist: Peter Max
Title: Sunset Reeds II
Medium: Original Painting on Canvas
Canvas Size: 16" x 20"
Year: 1997
Inscription: Signed "Max" on front
Documentation: Includes Gallery Certificate of Authenticity
Peter Max Studio Registration number: Reg #35954.

Peter Max’s Sunset Reeds (1997) presents a stylized landscape in which recognizable natural forms are transformed through an emphatic use of color and gestural brushwork. The composition centers on a group of elongated reeds rising from the lower portion of the canvas, set against a broad expanse of saturated yellow, orange, red, and magenta. Rather than attempting to reproduce the appearance of a specific landscape, Max constructs the scene through simplified forms and expressive marks that convey the visual intensity of a setting sun.

A large red and violet landform occupies the middle distance, creating a strong horizontal division between the luminous sky and the foreground. The reeds introduce vertical elements into this predominantly horizontal structure, while clusters of blue, green, lavender, and white brushstrokes along the edges suggest additional vegetation and atmospheric forms. Max's application of paint remains visible throughout the composition, with individual strokes serving both descriptive and compositional functions. Thin blue and purple lines extending across the landscape further emphasize the painting's linear structure.

Created in 1997, the work reflects Max's mature approach to landscape, in which familiar subjects are interpreted through heightened color, abstraction, and rhythmic mark-making. The resulting image maintains the essential characteristics of a sunset landscape while prioritizing color relationships and painterly gesture over naturalistic representation.

The canvas measures 16 x 20 inches, is signed "Max" on the front, is accompanied by a Gallery Certificate of Authenticity, and is registered with the Peter Max Studio as Reg. #35954.

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About Peter Max

Peter Max (1937–2024) occupies a distinctive position in the history of American Pop Art, particularly for his contribution to the visual culture of the 1960s. Born in Berlin and raised for periods in Shanghai and other parts of the world before settling in New York, Max developed an artistic vocabulary shaped by both traditional academic training and the rapidly changing cultural landscape of postwar America.

After studying at the Art Students League and the School of Visual Arts, Max initially worked in illustration and graphic design. During the 1960s, he developed the highly recognizable imagery for which he became known: intense color, rhythmic line, simplified figures, celestial motifs, and references to space and popular culture. His Cosmic ’60s paintings, prints, and posters became closely associated with psychedelic art and the era's interest in music, Eastern philosophy, astronomy, and countercultural expression.

Printmaking was central to Max's practice, allowing his imagery to circulate widely through posters, album covers, magazines, and other forms of mass media. His work consequently occupied a space between fine art, commercial graphics, and popular culture, a characteristic that has remained central to discussions of his place within American Pop Art.

Max continued to evolve throughout his career. His later paintings explored expressive brushwork, abstraction, portraiture, landscapes, and American subjects, including his recurring depictions of the Statue of Liberty. His work has been exhibited by major museums, including The Museum of Modern Art in New York, and his paintings and graphic prints continue to be widely collected.