JULES OLITSKI

Jules Olitski – Original Signed Festival Poster (Limited Edition III/XX)

This exceptional poster was created by the celebrated abstract painter Jules Olitski for a major cultural festival in the late 1970s. Unlike mass-produced exhibition posters, this example is part of a small, private edition produced directly for the organisers. It carries Olitski’s hand signature and is marked III/XX, confirming that only twenty numbered pieces were created.

The artwork shows Olitski’s hallmark approach to colour: a field of softly shifting tones that feel as though they have been breathed onto the surface. Even in poster form, the work captures his lifelong obsession with weightless colour, suspended light, and the sensation of paint lifting away from the image plane.

This particular example remains in excellent condition. The colours are strong, the surface is clean, and the sheet has no creasing or staining. It has been kept flat and protected since its creation, making it one of the best-preserved surviving copies of this tiny edition.

Features

• Hand-signed by Jules Olitski
• Edition number: III/XX (only 20 produced)
• Printed for a cultural festival, not publicly sold
• Strong, unfaded colours
• Excellent archival condition

About Jules Olitski

Jules Olitski (1922–2007) was one of the leading figures in the development of late twentieth-century abstract painting. Rising to prominence alongside the Colour Field and post-painterly abstraction movements, he became known for creating vast surfaces of drifting colour using sprayed pigments, veils of paint, and finely controlled gradations.

Olitski’s work broke away from traditional brushwork; instead, he treated colour as a physical atmosphere. His paintings often seem to glow from within, the surface dissolving into pure sensation. Throughout his career he remained committed to the idea that colour, when liberated from representation, could create a direct emotional experience.

His work has been exhibited internationally for over five decades, and pieces are held in major institutions across the world. Signed and low-edition materials such as this festival poster are rarely seen on the market, making this an opportunity for collectors who value provenance, scarcity, and the luminous beauty of Olitski’s visual language.

Provenance

Originally produced for the organisers of a cultural festival and never distributed publicly. This signed copy remained in a private collection until its release for sale.

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