Flowers

For over six decades, Alex Katz has found inspiration in all types of flowers, transforming wind-blown tiger lilies, marigolds, roses, and petunias into iconic works of Pop art. In the 1950s, Katz grew frustrated that his portraits lacked a sense of movement, so he began painting the wildflowers he discovered near his summer home in Maine. “When I did the first figure groups, The Cocktail Party and Lawn Party, I felt they didn’t move enough,” he said about this moment of inspiration. “And that’s one of the reasons I did the large flower paintings.” Over time, Katz’s floral renditions became more vibrant and alive, often featuring stems growing in every direction, petals cascading through the air, and leaves scattered across the composition. “You can’t look at any one thing for any length of time, your eye is moving all over the place in continuous motion,” he explained. A remarkable 71 inches long, Katz’s Red Tulips (1967) is among the artist’s top auction records, selling for …