Michael Knigin (1942-2011) 1979 Set of 4 Signed Nu

Updated September 18, 2026

An exceptionally engaging group of four signed and numbered 1979 color serigraphs by American artist and master printmaker Michael Knigin (1942-2011), each reinterpreting celebrated imagery associated with the great Japanese ukiyo-e artist Kitagawa Utamaro through the visual language of late-20th-century New York. The grouping comprises Profound Love, numbered 184/250; Reflection of Sugatami, numbered 137/250; Ohisa, numbered 205/250; and Dreamer, numbered 157/250. Each work is titled and inscribed "after UTAMARO" in pencil at lower left and signed and dated "Knigin 79 ©" in pencil at lower right, with a blindstamp impressed in the lower margin. Approximately 16 x 12 inches each overall. These sophisticated compositions exemplify Knigin's distinctive synthesis of historic Japanese bijin-ga imagery with contemporary urban photography and Pop-influenced visual culture. Utamaro's elegantly stylized Edo-period beauties are transported into unmistakably modern environments: illuminated Broadway theatre marquees and the Shubert Theatre in Profound Love; the Brooklyn Bridge and former World Trade Center skyline in Reflection of Sugatami; the electric commercial spectacle of Times Square in Ohisa; and a modern theatrical setting in Dreamer. The juxtaposition is simultaneously reverential and distinctly contemporary, preserving the refined linear beauty, elaborate coiffures and patterned textiles of ukiyo-e portraiture while placing these timeless figures within the architecture, advertising and cultural energy of modern New York City. As a unified four-work ensemble, the lot has particularly strong visual and collecting appeal, bringing together four complementary subjects from the same year, format and edition size rather than presenting an isolated example. Knigin's accomplished printmaking technique, sharply articulated line, richly patterned surfaces and carefully integrated photographic backgrounds give the works an immediately recognizable aesthetic that bridges Japanese art, American contemporary printmaking, Pop Art, appropriation art and New York cultural history. The sheets retain strong, attractive color and well-preserved image areas. Visible condition includes light handling and marginal waviness or creasing consistent with unframed works of this age, including a more noticeable diagonal crease to the lower right margin of Profound Love and lesser edge and corner handling elsewhere. Offered as a compelling and highly decorative four-piece collection for collectors of Michael Knigin prints, Kitagawa Utamaro-inspired art, Japanese ukiyo-e, bijin-ga, American Pop Art, contemporary serigraphs, limited edition prints, New York City art and cross-cultural postwar printmaking.

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