“Untitled (Geometric Circle),” Peggy Bendell (American, b.1940s?), c.1970s hand-pulled lithograph 26×26 in., signed & numbered 40/40 of 200, bold Op-Art design.
This striking Peggy Bendell limited-edition, hand-pulled lithograph features a dynamic black-and-white geometric mandala that radiates hypnotic optical movement. Signed and numbered 40/40 of 200, the work reflects Bendell’s background in professional graphic design and her transition into fine-art printmaking during the Op-Art–influenced era of the 1960s–70s. From the retired Mitch Morse Gallery collection, it remains in excellent, never-framed condition.
Artwork Description
This untitled geometric lithograph by Peggy Bendell is a bold example of mid-century Op-Art and graphic-constructivist aesthetics. The composition centers on a concentric black-and-white radial pattern—triangular and arrow-like forms arranged within a perfect circle—creating a visual vortex that pulls the viewer inward. The symmetry and repetition produce an optical vibration, a hallmark of the 1960s–1970s movement that explored perception, contrast, and formal abstraction.
Where many Op-Art compositions are rigid or clinical, Bendell’s approach has an elegance rooted in her background in commercial graphic arts. The forms are crisply rendered with impeccable drafting, highlighting her command of line, negative space, and visual rhythm. The stark monochrome palette heightens the sense of motion and precision, echoing influences ranging from the Bauhaus to Bridget Riley and Victor Vasarely.
Executed as a hand-drawn, hand-pulled lithograph, the work preserves subtle plate tone and the tactile nuances of traditional fine-art printmaking—distinguishing it from mechanical screenprints common in the era. The sheet measures 26×26 inches, with the edition number 40/40 of 200 handwritten in graphite at lower left and Bendell’s full signature at lower right. The print has never been framed or displayed and remains in excellent vintage condition with a bright, clean image field.
This work reflects Bendell’s creative pivot from commercial art into fine-art graphics, demonstrating her interest in contemporary design, visual psychology, and the purity of geometric abstraction.
Complete & Detailed Artist Biography — Peggy Bendell
Peggy Bendell is an American graphic artist and printmaker known for her strong foundation in visual communication, typographic precision, and geometric design. She graduated from the American Academy of Art in Chicago in 1966, a school renowned for its rigorous training in illustration, commercial art, and classical technique. Her early professional work appeared in leading industry publications—including Print, Graphic, Illustrators, and Art Direction—an indication of the high regard with which her peers and art directors viewed her abilities.
Bendell’s commercial work in the 1960s and 1970s paralleled a moment in American design when modernism, corporate identity programs, and experimental typography were reshaping visual culture. This environment deeply influenced her artistic sensibilities: precision, clarity, balance, and modularity became defining traits of her style. These qualities carried directly into her fine-art lithographs, which employ geometric abstraction and optical structures while retaining the elegance of professional graphic design.
Her transition into limited-edition fine-art graphics brought a new creative freedom, allowing her to explore non-representational forms and structural interplay through lithography, silkscreen, and mixed graphic processes. Her works were acquired by private collectors, contemporary graphic-art enthusiasts, and institutions including the Permanent Collection of the American Academy of Art, which recognized both her technical skill and her contribution to the visual arts.
Though not as widely publicized as major Op-Art figures, Bendell belongs to the lineage of American artists who bridged commercial design and abstract printmaking, advancing a clean, modernist aesthetic that remains timeless. Her prints—including the present geometric circle composition—showcase her mastery of contrast, spatial logic, and compositional tension, revealing the influence of mid-century graphic modernism while retaining her distinctly personal visual voice.
Peggy Bendell, Untitled (Geometric Circle), c.1970s, hand-pulled B&W lithograph, 26×26 in., pencil-signed and numbered 40/40 of 200. Excellent, never-framed vintage condition. Provenance: Mitch Morse Gallery, NYC; Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC.
Certificate of Value & Authentication
Artist: Peggy Bendell (American, active mid–late 20th century)
Title: Untitled (Geometric Circle)
Date: c.1970s
Medium: Original hand-drawn, hand-pulled lithograph
Dimensions: 26 × 26 inches (sheet)
Edition: 40/40 of 200
Signature: Hand-signed by artist in graphite (lower right); edition in graphite (lower left)
Condition: Excellent vintage condition; bright image, no fading, never framed or displayed
Provenance:
– Mitch Morse Gallery, NYC
– Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC (current owner)
This certificate affirms that the above-described artwork is an authentic limited-edition lithograph created, signed, and numbered by Peggy Bendell.
Provenance Chain (Collector-Formatted)
Mitch Morse Gallery, New York, NY
→ Private Gallery Holdings (United States & Europe)
→ Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC (current owner)
“Untitled (Geometric Circle),” Peggy Bendell (American, b.1940s?), c.1970s hand-pulled lithograph 26×26 in., signed & numbered 40/40 of 200, bold Op-Art design.
This striking Peggy Bendell limited-edition, hand-pulled lithograph features a dynamic black-and-white geometric mandala that radiates hypnotic optical movement. Signed and numbered 40/40 of 200, the work reflects Bendell’s background in professional graphic design and her transition into fine-art printmaking during the Op-Art–influenced era of the 1960s–70s. From the retired Mitch Morse Gallery collection, it remains in excellent, never-framed condition.
Artwork Description
This untitled geometric lithograph by Peggy Bendell is a bold example of mid-century Op-Art and graphic-constructivist aesthetics. The composition centers on a concentric black-and-white radial pattern—triangular and arrow-like forms arranged within a perfect circle—creating a visual vortex that pulls the viewer inward. The symmetry and repetition produce an optical vibration, a hallmark of the 1960s–1970s movement that explored perception, contrast, and formal abstraction.
Where many Op-Art compositions are rigid or clinical, Bendell’s approach has an elegance rooted in her background in commercial graphic arts. The forms are crisply rendered with impeccable drafting, highlighting her command of line, negative space, and visual rhythm. The stark monochrome palette heightens the sense of motion and precision, echoing influences ranging from the Bauhaus to Bridget Riley and Victor Vasarely.
Executed as a hand-drawn, hand-pulled lithograph, the work preserves subtle plate tone and the tactile nuances of traditional fine-art printmaking—distinguishing it from mechanical screenprints common in the era. The sheet measures 26×26 inches, with the edition number 40/40 of 200 handwritten in graphite at lower left and Bendell’s full signature at lower right. The print has never been framed or displayed and remains in excellent vintage condition with a bright, clean image field.
This work reflects Bendell’s creative pivot from commercial art into fine-art graphics, demonstrating her interest in contemporary design, visual psychology, and the purity of geometric abstraction.
Complete & Detailed Artist Biography — Peggy Bendell
Peggy Bendell is an American graphic artist and printmaker known for her strong foundation in visual communication, typographic precision, and geometric design. She graduated from the American Academy of Art in Chicago in 1966, a school renowned for its rigorous training in illustration, commercial art, and classical technique. Her early professional work appeared in leading industry publications—including Print, Graphic, Illustrators, and Art Direction—an indication of the high regard with which her peers and art directors viewed her abilities.
Bendell’s commercial work in the 1960s and 1970s paralleled a moment in American design when modernism, corporate identity programs, and experimental typography were reshaping visual culture. This environment deeply influenced her artistic sensibilities: precision, clarity, balance, and modularity became defining traits of her style. These qualities carried directly into her fine-art lithographs, which employ geometric abstraction and optical structures while retaining the elegance of professional graphic design.
Her transition into limited-edition fine-art graphics brought a new creative freedom, allowing her to explore non-representational forms and structural interplay through lithography, silkscreen, and mixed graphic processes. Her works were acquired by private collectors, contemporary graphic-art enthusiasts, and institutions including the Permanent Collection of the American Academy of Art, which recognized both her technical skill and her contribution to the visual arts.
Though not as widely publicized as major Op-Art figures, Bendell belongs to the lineage of American artists who bridged commercial design and abstract printmaking, advancing a clean, modernist aesthetic that remains timeless. Her prints—including the present geometric circle composition—showcase her mastery of contrast, spatial logic, and compositional tension, revealing the influence of mid-century graphic modernism while retaining her distinctly personal visual voice.
Peggy Bendell, Untitled (Geometric Circle), c.1970s, hand-pulled B&W lithograph, 26×26 in., pencil-signed and numbered 40/40 of 200. Excellent, never-framed vintage condition. Provenance: Mitch Morse Gallery, NYC; Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC.
Certificate of Value & Authentication
Artist: Peggy Bendell (American, active mid–late 20th century)
Title: Untitled (Geometric Circle)
Date: c.1970s
Medium: Original hand-drawn, hand-pulled lithograph
Dimensions: 26 × 26 inches (sheet)
Edition: 40/40 of 200
Signature: Hand-signed by artist in graphite (lower right); edition in graphite (lower left)
Condition: Excellent vintage condition; bright image, no fading, never framed or displayed
Provenance:
– Mitch Morse Gallery, NYC
– Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC (current owner)
This certificate affirms that the above-described artwork is an authentic limited-edition lithograph created, signed, and numbered by Peggy Bendell.
Provenance Chain (Collector-Formatted)
Mitch Morse Gallery, New York, NY
→ Private Gallery Holdings (United States & Europe)
→ Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC (current owner)
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