Crown Point Press

F ounded in 1962, the Crown Point Press in San Francisco has produced prints by significant artists for over half a century, while drawing an international audience to its gallery and bookstore. The publisher’s educational influence extends well beyond the Bay Area, as it brings its publications to multiple art fairs in addition to archival exhibitions at MoMA and the National Gallery in D.C.

The etching medium was initially popularized by renowned masters such as Rembrandt, and then modernized by luminaries such as Picasso; however, it was Crown Point that helped introduce its complexities to the contemporary printmaking of artists such as Richard Diebenkorn.

Crown Point began with the vision of Kathan Brown, who had studied etching in London and initially showcased her own work with livres d’artiste. Collaborative projects with local artists such as Diebenkorn ensued, as did a partnership with Parasol Press, thereby luring numerous New York artists to the studio in California, such as Sol LeWitt, Brice Marden and Chuck Close. The Crown Point influence further expanded in the 1980s through residencies where artists learned the woodcutting technique directly from craftsmen in Asia, while international artists came to work with American printers on the West Coast.

Crown Point brilliantly spotlights the vitality of the printmaking medium with ongoing workshops open to the public to learn printmaking, as well as behind-the-scenes videos with artists such as Ed Ruscha and Wayne Thiebaud. Its milestones have ranged from museum retrospectives to a memoir by Kathan Brown.

Sotheby’s is proud to partner with Crown Point Press, offering access to its prints directly from the publisher, as well as providing an easy solution to purchase through its online Buy Now marketplace.