Fortin de las Flores (First Version), from the portfolio “Ten from Leo Castelli”

Prints—original works of art available at a fraction of what it costs to buy a painting or sculpture—are often celebrated for their accessibility to collectors. The art market has responded to this accessibility in a variety of ways. In the 1960s, Rosa Esman’s Tanglewood Press transported the centuries-old concept of a print series, or portfolio, into new territory by including sculptural multiples. With publications such as Ten from Leo Castelli and 7 Objects/69, she tapped into artists’ experimentation with new materials such as Plexiglas and vacuum-formed plastic.

Leo Castelli was a European-born businessman whose New York gallery played a leading role in defining contemporary art in the United States in the second half of the 20th century. Ten from Leo Castelli, which commemorated his first decade in business, is far more than a print portfolio—indeed only three artists submitted traditional prints. The 10 objects pay tribute to Castelli and his stable of artists, and simultaneously serve as a starter kit for collecting contemporary art.