Peter Blake Art for Sale: Prints & Originals

Peter
Blake

Sir Peter Blake, the godfather of British Pop Art, is renowned for his iconic album cover for the Beatles and vibrant collage work. If you’re looking for original Peter Blake prints and editions for sale or would like to sell, request a complimentary valuation and browse our network’s most in-demand works.

Biography

Renowned as a pivotal figure in the Pop Art movement, Sir Peter Blake is a pioneer of British art, celebrated for his influence on the visual language of the 20th century. His iconic work, co-creating the album cover for The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, remains a defining symbol of the era, capturing the zeitgeist of the 1960s with its vibrant collage of famous figures.

In his early life, Blake showed an interest in art, which was nurtured through his education at the Gravesend School of Art before progressing to the prestigious Royal College of Art in London. It was here that his distinctive style began to take shape, through collaging imagery from popular culture.

Blake's artistic evolution is marked by distinct phases, each characterised by his exploration of various mediums and motifs. His early works, layered with images of wrestlers, film stars, and musicians, celebrated the vernacular of everyday life. This approach resonated with the burgeoning youth culture of the time.

A fascination with Americana and consumer culture led Blake to his involvement with the Young Contemporaries group, which signalled the advent of British Pop Art. His 1961 solo exhibition at the Portal Gallery in London established him as a leading figure in the movement. During this period, Blake's work celebrated popular culture through vivid and eclectic imagery, often incorporating elements from advertisements, comic strips, and music.

Blake's influence extended to his roles as a teacher at the Royal College of Art and other institutions. His dedication to mentoring young artists has been a significant aspect of his legacy, nurturing the early careers of several Contemporary Art figures.

Significant exhibitions and accolades have marked Blake’s success. He was knighted in 2002 for his services to the arts, and his retrospectives have been held at institutions including the Tate Liverpool and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The artist’s works including Self-Portrait With Badges and The First Real Target are seminal in Pop Art's narrative.

The legacy of Blake is hinged on a fascination with the iconography of popular culture and an affectionate, sometimes irreverent, take on the world. As an artist, educator, and album cover collaborator, Blake's influence permeates both the art world and the broader cultural landscape.

Blake's influence extends beyond the visual arts, notably into the music industry. Blake is perhaps best known for his design of The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover, which earned him a Grammy Award. In the 1990s, Blake continued his involvement in music, creating artwork for Eric Clapton's 24 Nights and Paul Weller's Stanley Road. More recently, he designed the cover for Oasis's Stop the Clocks and Eric Clapton's I Still Do album in 2016. Each project solidifies his role as a key figure in both the art and music worlds. His work is celebrated for its vibrant visual impact and also for its ability to encapsulate the spirit of the music it accompanies.
Throughout his illustrious career, Blake has shown a remarkable affinity for the self-portrait. He has chronicled his own image with the same eclectic approach that characterises his broader body of work, offering a deeply personal yet accessible insight into his life and art. From his Self-portrait With Badges (1961) where he stands clad in denim and adorned with badges, to his more recent works, Blake's self-portraits serve as a visual autobiography, mapping his journey in the art world and reflecting on the nature of self presentation in contemporary culture.