“Butte I” by Jack Hagman is a dramatic 1970s Southwestern lithograph that transforms desert buttes into a sculptural, almost abstract landscape of light and shadow. Printed in rich sepia tones and limited to an edition of 300, this signed impression (no. 249/300) showcases Hagman’s celebrated skill at distilling Western vistas into bold, modern forms. A superb acquisition for collectors of American landscape art, mid-century printmaking, and minimalist Western imagery.
In “Butte I,” Jack Hagman reimagines the American West as a series of monumental silhouettes. Towering rock formations rise sharply from layered desert plains, their contours rendered in a single, warm brown that suggests sun-baked sandstone at dusk. The sky is left a pale, open field, creating a powerful contrast between the solid, weighty buttes and the luminous atmosphere above.
Hagman’s technique emphasizes tonal gradation rather than line: each form is built from dense, granular lithographic shading that fades softly at the edges, creating a sense of depth and atmospheric perspective without traditional outlines. The result is a landscape that feels both real and abstract—recognizably Southwestern, yet pared down to essential masses and rhythms of dark and light. The composition leads the eye through receding layers of rock and valley, inviting viewers into the quiet distance of the canyon.
The print is a hand-pulled lithograph on fine wove paper, signed “Hagman” in graphite at the lower right. The title “Butte I” appears in the center margin, and the edition number 249/300 is inscribed at the lower left. Created in the 1970s, the work aligns with Hagman’s broader exploration of stylized landscapes in both lithography and oil, where he often reversed or simplified value structures to heighten graphic impact.
“Butte I” likely draws on Hagman’s long engagement with landscape as a metaphor for mood and memory. Rather than depicting specific geographic landmarks, he abstracts the forms of cliffs and mesas into a quiet, meditative image—more about atmosphere and solitude than topographical accuracy. The restrained palette and minimalist detail make the piece highly versatile for display, whether in a modern interior or a Southwestern-inspired setting.
Jack (John) Hagman (American, 1937–2015) was a painter and printmaker known for stylized landscapes, abstract-geometric prints, and atmospheric Western scenes. Born on December 22, 1937, in Chicago, Illinois, he developed as an artist within the vibrant mid-century Chicago art community. Throughout his life he maintained strong ties to the region, later residing in Valparaiso, Indiana, while continuing to work and exhibit in and around Chicago.
Hagman studied art in the Chicago area and became active professionally by the late 1960s and 1970s, a period that saw him working with galleries such as Merrill Chase Gallery, which handled his paintings and lithographs and circulated them nationally. Documents from those gallery relationships emphasize his focus on contemporary landscape and experimental printmaking. His work is held in the Notable: Artist has three works in the Smithsonian American Art Museum and in institutional collections such as the Allen Memorial Art Museum at Oberlin College, attesting to his recognition within American art circles.
Artist biographies attached to his works and auction documentation describe Hagman primarily as a landscape painter whose style blends modernist abstraction with traditional subject matter. Many of his oils and prints use simplified silhouettes, reversed or heightened value structures, and carefully modulated color to transform forests, canyons, valleys, and paths into strong graphic statements. Some of his 1970s lithographs—like “Yesterday’s News is Today’s Hat” and “Three Rules for Survival”—lean more toward abstract geometry and conceptual imagery and were included in Harvard University’s Fogg Art Museum print rental program, placing his work alongside other significant contemporary printmakers.
Hagman exhibited through regional galleries and group shows and was associated with a regional artist collective called “18 Artists.” Outside the studio he was deeply involved in community arts, working as an actor, director, and set designer with the Chicago Street Theatre in Valparaiso. His multidisciplinary involvement in visual and performing arts reflects a creative life woven into local cultural institutions.
Over time, his landscape paintings and prints have appeared regularly at auction, with realized prices ranging from modest figures for small lithographs to higher amounts for large, luminous landscape oils. Works such as “Green Sunlit Valley,” “A New Valley,” and other canyon and forest views demonstrate a consistent fascination with light, distance, and the sculptural qualities of natural forms—the same concerns evident in “Butte I.”
Hagman passed away on April 3, 2015, in Valparaiso, Indiana, leaving behind a body of work that bridges mid-century modernism and accessible, emotionally resonant landscape imagery.
Jack Hagman (1937–2015), Butte I, c.1970s, lithograph on paper, image approx. 11×13 in., signed lower right, titled, and numbered 249/300. Sepia-toned abstract Southwestern butte landscape with strong tonal gradation; unframed (if applicable). Good overall condition.
Certificate of Value & Authentication
This document certifies that the artwork titled “Butte I” is an original lithograph by Jack Hagman (American, 1937–2015).
Medium: Hand-pulled lithograph on paper
Dimensions: Approximately 11 × 13 inches
Date: c. 1970s
Edition: 249/300
Signature: Signed “Hagman” in graphite at the lower right; titled “Butte I” and numbered 249/300 in the lower margin
Authentication is based on examination of the signature, edition notation, printing technique, and established provenance through Mitch Morse Gallery, as well as consistency with other documented Hagman lithographs. This work is deemed authentic and suitable for insurance, appraisal, exhibition, and resale.
Artist: Jack Hagman (American, 1937–2015)
Early distribution via gallery/print publisher, USA, c.1970s
Acquired by Mitch Morse Gallery, New York (with additional sourcing in the United States and Europe)
Subsequently sold through Mitch Morse Gallery to private collectors
Current owner: Artfind Gallery, Washington DC
“Butte I” by Jack Hagman is a dramatic 1970s Southwestern lithograph that transforms desert buttes into a sculptural, almost abstract landscape of light and shadow. Printed in rich sepia tones and limited to an edition of 300, this signed impression (no. 249/300) showcases Hagman’s celebrated skill at distilling Western vistas into bold, modern forms. A superb acquisition for collectors of American landscape art, mid-century printmaking, and minimalist Western imagery.
In “Butte I,” Jack Hagman reimagines the American West as a series of monumental silhouettes. Towering rock formations rise sharply from layered desert plains, their contours rendered in a single, warm brown that suggests sun-baked sandstone at dusk. The sky is left a pale, open field, creating a powerful contrast between the solid, weighty buttes and the luminous atmosphere above.
Hagman’s technique emphasizes tonal gradation rather than line: each form is built from dense, granular lithographic shading that fades softly at the edges, creating a sense of depth and atmospheric perspective without traditional outlines. The result is a landscape that feels both real and abstract—recognizably Southwestern, yet pared down to essential masses and rhythms of dark and light. The composition leads the eye through receding layers of rock and valley, inviting viewers into the quiet distance of the canyon.
The print is a hand-pulled lithograph on fine wove paper, signed “Hagman” in graphite at the lower right. The title “Butte I” appears in the center margin, and the edition number 249/300 is inscribed at the lower left. Created in the 1970s, the work aligns with Hagman’s broader exploration of stylized landscapes in both lithography and oil, where he often reversed or simplified value structures to heighten graphic impact.
“Butte I” likely draws on Hagman’s long engagement with landscape as a metaphor for mood and memory. Rather than depicting specific geographic landmarks, he abstracts the forms of cliffs and mesas into a quiet, meditative image—more about atmosphere and solitude than topographical accuracy. The restrained palette and minimalist detail make the piece highly versatile for display, whether in a modern interior or a Southwestern-inspired setting.
Jack (John) Hagman (American, 1937–2015) was a painter and printmaker known for stylized landscapes, abstract-geometric prints, and atmospheric Western scenes. Born on December 22, 1937, in Chicago, Illinois, he developed as an artist within the vibrant mid-century Chicago art community. Throughout his life he maintained strong ties to the region, later residing in Valparaiso, Indiana, while continuing to work and exhibit in and around Chicago.
Hagman studied art in the Chicago area and became active professionally by the late 1960s and 1970s, a period that saw him working with galleries such as Merrill Chase Gallery, which handled his paintings and lithographs and circulated them nationally. Documents from those gallery relationships emphasize his focus on contemporary landscape and experimental printmaking. His work is held in the Notable: Artist has three works in the Smithsonian American Art Museum and in institutional collections such as the Allen Memorial Art Museum at Oberlin College, attesting to his recognition within American art circles.
Artist biographies attached to his works and auction documentation describe Hagman primarily as a landscape painter whose style blends modernist abstraction with traditional subject matter. Many of his oils and prints use simplified silhouettes, reversed or heightened value structures, and carefully modulated color to transform forests, canyons, valleys, and paths into strong graphic statements. Some of his 1970s lithographs—like “Yesterday’s News is Today’s Hat” and “Three Rules for Survival”—lean more toward abstract geometry and conceptual imagery and were included in Harvard University’s Fogg Art Museum print rental program, placing his work alongside other significant contemporary printmakers.
Hagman exhibited through regional galleries and group shows and was associated with a regional artist collective called “18 Artists.” Outside the studio he was deeply involved in community arts, working as an actor, director, and set designer with the Chicago Street Theatre in Valparaiso. His multidisciplinary involvement in visual and performing arts reflects a creative life woven into local cultural institutions.
Over time, his landscape paintings and prints have appeared regularly at auction, with realized prices ranging from modest figures for small lithographs to higher amounts for large, luminous landscape oils. Works such as “Green Sunlit Valley,” “A New Valley,” and other canyon and forest views demonstrate a consistent fascination with light, distance, and the sculptural qualities of natural forms—the same concerns evident in “Butte I.”
Hagman passed away on April 3, 2015, in Valparaiso, Indiana, leaving behind a body of work that bridges mid-century modernism and accessible, emotionally resonant landscape imagery.
Jack Hagman (1937–2015), Butte I, c.1970s, lithograph on paper, image approx. 11×13 in., signed lower right, titled, and numbered 249/300. Sepia-toned abstract Southwestern butte landscape with strong tonal gradation; unframed (if applicable). Good overall condition.
Certificate of Value & Authentication
This document certifies that the artwork titled “Butte I” is an original lithograph by Jack Hagman (American, 1937–2015).
Medium: Hand-pulled lithograph on paper
Dimensions: Approximately 11 × 13 inches
Date: c. 1970s
Edition: 249/300
Signature: Signed “Hagman” in graphite at the lower right; titled “Butte I” and numbered 249/300 in the lower margin
Authentication is based on examination of the signature, edition notation, printing technique, and established provenance through Mitch Morse Gallery, as well as consistency with other documented Hagman lithographs. This work is deemed authentic and suitable for insurance, appraisal, exhibition, and resale.
Artist: Jack Hagman (American, 1937–2015)
Early distribution via gallery/print publisher, USA, c.1970s
Acquired by Mitch Morse Gallery, New York (with additional sourcing in the United States and Europe)
Subsequently sold through Mitch Morse Gallery to private collectors
Current owner: Artfind Gallery, Washington DC
