An American artist of worldwide renown, Ellsworth Kelly has consistently returned to nature as a subject throughout his extraordinary career. Kelly began making prints in 1964; shortly thereafter he created his first suite of plant lithographs. To date he has produced 72 plant lithographs that fall into five major series: Suite of Plant Lithographs (1964-66); Leaves (1973-74); Twelve Leaves (1978); Series of Plant and Flower Lithographs (1983-85); Oak Leaves (1992); and several individual works. This comprehensive book serves as a beautiful portfolio of the plant lithographs accompanied by informative texts on all of these works as well as an insightful discussion of how they relate to the ink and pencil plant drawings that the artist has produced concurrently with the lithographs throughout his career.Kelly has occupied the center stage of modernism since his early years in Paris in the 1950s. Distinguished for his abstract style of pure col "A compelling introduction to Kerry s lesser-known artwork...." -- Library Journal "Simple line drawings... are enhanced by Axsom s essay on the act of drawing. Excellent." -- Art Times American artist Ellsworth Kelly has occupied the center stage of modernism for some fifty years. His widely admired plant lithographs hold an important place in his remarkable oeuvre. This exquisitely illustrated book provides the definitive study of Kelly’s 72 plant, fruit, and flower lithographs, including insightful analyses of his art and approach to abstraction. Richard H. Axsom is senior curator of prints and photographs at the Grand Rapids Art Museum and professor emeritus of art history, University of Michigan. He was coauthor of The Prints of Ellsworth Kelly: A Catalogue Raisonné, 19491985 .