“Flute,” Henry C. Meyer (American, 1916–1987), c.1960s color lithograph, 12×10 in, boy with instrument, pencil-signed, edition 159/190.
“Flute” is a mid-century modern color lithograph by New York artist Henry C. Meyer (1916–1987), best known for his abstract work and limited-edition prints produced at Larchmont Studios. This intimate 12×10 inch composition shows a young musician in a bold striped sweater holding his flute beside a music stand, set against a vivid pink ground. Hand-signed and numbered 159/190, the print captures Meyer’s rare figurative side while preserving his modernist color sense, making it highly desirable for collectors of mid-century American prints, music-themed art, and Cooper Union–trained New York artists.
Artwork Description
In “Flute,” Henry C. Meyer offers a charming, slightly stylized portrait of a young musician at practice. The boy stands in three-quarter view, his expression calm and self-possessed, one hand resting lightly on a sheet-music stand while the other cradles the flute along his torso. The striped sweater—bands of teal blue and ochre—becomes the formal anchor of the composition, its horizontal rhythm playing against the verticality of the music stand and the figure himself.
The background is a flat, expressive field of raspberry pink, brushed in visible strokes that evoke the painterly spontaneity of Meyer’s abstract work. This saturated color throws the lighter tones of the boy’s face and hands into sharp relief and creates a strong modern graphic impact typical of 1960s design. The lower portion of the image introduces a greenish band and warm ochre tabletop, grounding the figure while keeping the emphasis on the torso and face.
Medium and technique: this is a hand-drawn color lithograph on paper, printed in multiple plates or stones to achieve the layered hues and painterly textures. The surface shows the typical grain and slightly offset brushlike marks associated with artist-lithographs of the period, suggesting Meyer drew directly on the lithographic matrix rather than relying on photographic transfer.
The print is pencil-signed “Henry C Meyer” at the lower right margin and pencil-numbered “159/190” at the lower left, indicating a limited edition of 190 impressions. Measuring approximately 12 × 10 inches, it is consistent with the intimate scale of Meyer’s other figurative lithographs, such as “Cello” and mother-and-child subjects, which appear occasionally on the secondary market.
“Flute” is especially interesting within Meyer’s oeuvre because he is primarily known for abstract and semi-abstract compositions. Here he brings that modernist sensibility to a representational subject: the compressed space, bold color fields, and simplified drawing give the piece a distinctly mid-century feel while preserving the warmth and narrative of a child learning music. For collectors, it offers both a figure study and a slice of post-war New York graphic culture.
Biography of Henry C. Meyer (1916–1987)
Henry C. Meyer was an American mid-century painter and printmaker whose work bridges abstract modernism and expressive figuration. He was born in 1916 and studied at the Cooper Union Art School in New York City, where he received a Silver Medal for his work.
After Cooper Union, Meyer worked professionally as a textile designer in New York, living for many years in Valley Stream, New York, on Long Island. His design background shows in the bold patterning, strong color blocking, and rhythmic line that characterize his paintings and prints. Family accounts describe how his parents helped promote his art on the “mall circuit” in the 1960s and 1970s, showing and selling his lithographs and paintings at weekend art events—an important grassroots route for mid-century American artists.
Meyer is best documented as a mid-century modern abstractionist, producing oil paintings and works on paper with gestural forms and vibrant color fields. At the same time, he created a series of figurative lithographs—musicians, lovers, mothers with children, and literary subjects such as “Don Quixote Attack on the Giants”—printed at Larchmont Studios in Larchmont, New York. These editioned works were usually hand-signed and numbered in runs of around 190–250 impressions, and are now among the most accessible ways to collect his art.
His work was exhibited at major institutions, including the National Gallery, Washington, D.C.; the Museum of Modern Art, New York; Princeton University; the Suffolk Museum; Vendome Gallery and Contemporary Arts in New York; Hofstra University; and Larchmont Gallery. He received several awards, among them a Silver Medal from Cooper Union, a Special Prize at the Decimal Triennial in Milan, and a Purchase Prize from the United States Government.
Meyer’s work has entered significant collections, including the Suffolk Museum on Long Island, the Graphic Arts Collection of the Fifth Avenue Library in New York City, the Collection of the U.S. Government, the Museum of Fine Arts in Reykjavík, Iceland, and numerous private collections.
Auction records list him as Henry C. Meyer (1916–1987), confirming his death date and documenting sales for both his paintings and prints. While he remains modestly known compared to major mid-century names, collectors consistently praise the originality, color sense, and uniquely modern approach of his work.
Henry C. Meyer (American, 1916–1987), “Flute”, c.1960s, color lithograph on paper, 12×10 in, pencil-signed lower right, numbered 159/190 lower left. Mid-century modern portrait of a boy with flute and music stand, a rare figurative work by this primarily abstract New York artist; printed at Larchmont Studios with strong Cooper Union pedigree and institutional exhibition history.
Certificate of Value & Authentication
Artist: Henry C. Meyer (American, 1916–1987)
Title: Flute
Date: c.1960s
Medium: Color lithograph on paper
Dimensions: 12 × 10 inches
Edition: 159/190
Signature: Hand-signed “Henry C Meyer” in pencil at lower right; edition number “159/190” in pencil at lower left
Technique: Hand-drawn lithograph printed in multiple colors, likely produced at Larchmont Studios, Larchmont, NY
Condition: Very good vintage condition with typical light age toning; no major tears or losses visible
Authenticity:
Signature, numbering, medium, and style are consistent with known examples of Meyer’s editioned lithographs and with his documented printing history at Larchmont Studios. This certificate affirms that Flute is an authentic original limited-edition lithograph by Henry C. Meyer.
Provenance Chain (Collector-Formatted)
• Henry C. Meyer (1916–1987) – artist; lithograph created and editioned
• Larchmont Studios / New York art market – initial distribution
• Mitch Morse Gallery, New York, NY – later acquisition
• Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC – current owner
“Flute,” Henry C. Meyer (American, 1916–1987), c.1960s color lithograph, 12×10 in, boy with instrument, pencil-signed, edition 159/190.
“Flute” is a mid-century modern color lithograph by New York artist Henry C. Meyer (1916–1987), best known for his abstract work and limited-edition prints produced at Larchmont Studios. This intimate 12×10 inch composition shows a young musician in a bold striped sweater holding his flute beside a music stand, set against a vivid pink ground. Hand-signed and numbered 159/190, the print captures Meyer’s rare figurative side while preserving his modernist color sense, making it highly desirable for collectors of mid-century American prints, music-themed art, and Cooper Union–trained New York artists.
Artwork Description
In “Flute,” Henry C. Meyer offers a charming, slightly stylized portrait of a young musician at practice. The boy stands in three-quarter view, his expression calm and self-possessed, one hand resting lightly on a sheet-music stand while the other cradles the flute along his torso. The striped sweater—bands of teal blue and ochre—becomes the formal anchor of the composition, its horizontal rhythm playing against the verticality of the music stand and the figure himself.
The background is a flat, expressive field of raspberry pink, brushed in visible strokes that evoke the painterly spontaneity of Meyer’s abstract work. This saturated color throws the lighter tones of the boy’s face and hands into sharp relief and creates a strong modern graphic impact typical of 1960s design. The lower portion of the image introduces a greenish band and warm ochre tabletop, grounding the figure while keeping the emphasis on the torso and face.
Medium and technique: this is a hand-drawn color lithograph on paper, printed in multiple plates or stones to achieve the layered hues and painterly textures. The surface shows the typical grain and slightly offset brushlike marks associated with artist-lithographs of the period, suggesting Meyer drew directly on the lithographic matrix rather than relying on photographic transfer.
The print is pencil-signed “Henry C Meyer” at the lower right margin and pencil-numbered “159/190” at the lower left, indicating a limited edition of 190 impressions. Measuring approximately 12 × 10 inches, it is consistent with the intimate scale of Meyer’s other figurative lithographs, such as “Cello” and mother-and-child subjects, which appear occasionally on the secondary market.
“Flute” is especially interesting within Meyer’s oeuvre because he is primarily known for abstract and semi-abstract compositions. Here he brings that modernist sensibility to a representational subject: the compressed space, bold color fields, and simplified drawing give the piece a distinctly mid-century feel while preserving the warmth and narrative of a child learning music. For collectors, it offers both a figure study and a slice of post-war New York graphic culture.
Biography of Henry C. Meyer (1916–1987)
Henry C. Meyer was an American mid-century painter and printmaker whose work bridges abstract modernism and expressive figuration. He was born in 1916 and studied at the Cooper Union Art School in New York City, where he received a Silver Medal for his work.
After Cooper Union, Meyer worked professionally as a textile designer in New York, living for many years in Valley Stream, New York, on Long Island. His design background shows in the bold patterning, strong color blocking, and rhythmic line that characterize his paintings and prints. Family accounts describe how his parents helped promote his art on the “mall circuit” in the 1960s and 1970s, showing and selling his lithographs and paintings at weekend art events—an important grassroots route for mid-century American artists.
Meyer is best documented as a mid-century modern abstractionist, producing oil paintings and works on paper with gestural forms and vibrant color fields. At the same time, he created a series of figurative lithographs—musicians, lovers, mothers with children, and literary subjects such as “Don Quixote Attack on the Giants”—printed at Larchmont Studios in Larchmont, New York. These editioned works were usually hand-signed and numbered in runs of around 190–250 impressions, and are now among the most accessible ways to collect his art.
His work was exhibited at major institutions, including the National Gallery, Washington, D.C.; the Museum of Modern Art, New York; Princeton University; the Suffolk Museum; Vendome Gallery and Contemporary Arts in New York; Hofstra University; and Larchmont Gallery. He received several awards, among them a Silver Medal from Cooper Union, a Special Prize at the Decimal Triennial in Milan, and a Purchase Prize from the United States Government.
Meyer’s work has entered significant collections, including the Suffolk Museum on Long Island, the Graphic Arts Collection of the Fifth Avenue Library in New York City, the Collection of the U.S. Government, the Museum of Fine Arts in Reykjavík, Iceland, and numerous private collections.
Auction records list him as Henry C. Meyer (1916–1987), confirming his death date and documenting sales for both his paintings and prints. While he remains modestly known compared to major mid-century names, collectors consistently praise the originality, color sense, and uniquely modern approach of his work.
Henry C. Meyer (American, 1916–1987), “Flute”, c.1960s, color lithograph on paper, 12×10 in, pencil-signed lower right, numbered 159/190 lower left. Mid-century modern portrait of a boy with flute and music stand, a rare figurative work by this primarily abstract New York artist; printed at Larchmont Studios with strong Cooper Union pedigree and institutional exhibition history.
Certificate of Value & Authentication
Artist: Henry C. Meyer (American, 1916–1987)
Title: Flute
Date: c.1960s
Medium: Color lithograph on paper
Dimensions: 12 × 10 inches
Edition: 159/190
Signature: Hand-signed “Henry C Meyer” in pencil at lower right; edition number “159/190” in pencil at lower left
Technique: Hand-drawn lithograph printed in multiple colors, likely produced at Larchmont Studios, Larchmont, NY
Condition: Very good vintage condition with typical light age toning; no major tears or losses visible
Authenticity:
Signature, numbering, medium, and style are consistent with known examples of Meyer’s editioned lithographs and with his documented printing history at Larchmont Studios. This certificate affirms that Flute is an authentic original limited-edition lithograph by Henry C. Meyer.
Provenance Chain (Collector-Formatted)
• Henry C. Meyer (1916–1987) – artist; lithograph created and editioned
• Larchmont Studios / New York art market – initial distribution
• Mitch Morse Gallery, New York, NY – later acquisition
• Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC – current owner
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