Michael Rothenstein Little Zoo III, 1990

British artist Michael Rothenstein (1908-1993) produced his first print, a lithograph, in 1946, and thereafter dedicated his art to printmaking, revolutionising the process and gaining notoriety as one of the most exciting printmakers of the twentieth century. His creative ethos was playful and permissive, resulting from a belief that printmaking was an open practice capable of eroding the boundaries between studios and styles. Rothenstein incorporated iconography of consumerism and carnivalesque scenes with symbols of contemporary culture within his prints.

Michael Rothenstein is represented in public collections including Tate, Victoria & Albert Museum, British Museum, and Museum of Modern Art, New York.