Born Robert Clark in New Castle, Indiana in 1928, the artist changed his last name upon moving to New York City in 1954. In the early 1960s, Indiana explored the style of hard-edged painting that his friends such as Ellsworth Kelly were exploring. His interest in words, however, distinguished his works from other abstract painters of the time.

Familiar to everyone, this is Robert Indiana's first LOVE screen print ever produced. An original from 1965, it was commissioned by the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) as a Christmas card, this one was unused and includes the original envelope.

In very good condition, the screen printed pigments are rich and saturated.

After the success of this image, his LOVE series, which opened at the Stable Gallery in New York in 1966, became one of the defining images of the Pop Art era of the 1960s.

“LOVE”

Screen print, 6 3/16 x 6 3/8 inches, 1965, $950