Max Papart

(French, 1911 - 1994)

“My paintings force the viewer to think, and it is for the viewer to respond to the art based on his own personal experiences.”
— Max Papart

Max Papart’s Cubist paintings and their sunny humor and cheerful subjects brighten the minds of his viewers. Papart’s work is visually and intellectually stimulating. He uses a bold palette and interesting juxtapositions of flat, overlapping planes of contrasting patterns and textures, as well as concepts such as the “window”, in which the viewer can sense another place or time through his pieces. The artist referred to himself as a composer; claiming he composed art, instead of painting it.

A master printer, Papart produced important hand-printed aquatints, carborundum etchings, lithographs, and creative mixed media graphics. The Director of the Bibliothèque National in Paris stated some of the most significant prints made in France during the 20th century were by Papart.

Max Papart was born in Marseille but moved to Paris in 1936, where he learned the processes of classic engraving. Then in 1960, he took up the new etching technique, carborundum, invented by his friend, Henri Goetz. In addition to his studies, he also taught printmaking at the University of Paris VIII in Vincennes. In the 1980s, in collaboration with Robert Dutrou, Morsang Atelier, and Kenneth Nahan, Papart created a series of aquatints called Masterprints. Etching the copper plates took from six months to a year and printing the edition would be another six months, with each plate hand-inked for each piece of paper, to create small editions of 50 to 85 prints.

Papart was incredibly personal in his art, painting whenever the inspiration struck and letting the creativity flow. He made his own plates and supervised the processing of his own prints until his death in 1994 at age 83. Galleries and museums in Paris, the United States, Jerusalem, and many more places around the world continue to exhibit his pieces.

American Fine Art, Inc. is proud to feature the original works and limited editions of Max Papart. Visit our 12,000 sq. ft. showroom in Scottsdale, Arizona or call today. Our website is offered only as a limited place to browse or refresh your memory and is not a reflection of our current inventory. To learn more about collecting, pricing, value, or any other art information, an International Art Consultant will assist on giving you the one on one attention you deserve. We hope you find our website helpful and look forward to seeing you in Scottsdale soon.