Alex Katz’s printmaking career is documented in the revised Alex Katz Prints: Catalogue Raisonné, 1947–2023, edited by Gunhild Bauer and Klaus Albrecht Schröder.
Published in 2023, the expanded catalogue includes Katz prints and multiples through spring 2023, while the official Catalogue Raisonné Supplement documents later projects and updated information.
For collectors, these references help answer a fundamental question: Does the print correspond with a documented Alex Katz edition?
What Is the Alex Katz Print Catalogue Raisonné?
A catalogue raisonné is a scholarly reference documenting an artist’s body of work. For Alex Katz prints, entries can provide:
- Title and date
- Catalogue number
- Medium and paper
- Dimensions
- Edition and proof structure
- Signature and numbering information
- Printer and publisher
- Relevant stamps or portfolio information
These details help distinguish closely related Katz editions across his extensive printmaking career.
What Is a Schröder Number on an Alex Katz Print?
Auction houses, galleries and specialists frequently identify Katz prints with a Schröder catalogue reference, which may appear as:
Schröder 500
S. 240
Both formats refer to a catalogue raisonné entry. The number identifies the documented work or edition, not one individual sheet.
For example:
Schröder 500 = the catalogue reference for the documented work
27/50 = impression 27 from a regular edition of 50
AP = artist’s proof
Every legitimate impression from the same documented edition can therefore share a Schröder reference while carrying a different edition number or proof designation.
Learn more: Alex Katz Signatures, Edition Numbers & Proofs →
Who Compiled the Alex Katz Catalogue Raisonné?
The revised catalogue was edited by Gunhild Bauer and Klaus Albrecht Schröder and published by Hatje Cantz in 2023. It expands the earlier print catalogue and documents Katz’s graphic work from the late 1940s through spring 2023.
ISBN: 978-3-7757-5394-4
Why Do Some Sources Say 1947–2022 and Others Say 1947–2023?
Collectors may encounter both date ranges. Hatje Cantz lists the publication as Alex Katz: Prints: Catalogue Raisonné, 1947–2022, while the official Alex Katz website describes the revised catalogue as 1947–2023 and states that works through spring 2023 were incorporated during production.
Both references concern the same revised 2023 publication, ISBN 978-3-7757-5394-4.
Alex Katz Online Catalogue Raisonné Supplement
The official Alex Katz website maintains a supplement documenting projects finalized after publication and updates to previously published information.
For recent Katz prints, collectors should therefore check both the printed catalogue and the official supplement.
Documented supplement entries include works such as Yellow Flags 3, 2020, catalogue no. 707, Ada 1, 2022, no. 781, and Freesia, 2023, no. 798.
Supplement entries can provide detailed information on medium, paper, dimensions, edition structure, signature placement, printer and publisher.
How Schröder Numbers Are Used in Auction and Portfolio Records
Auction houses frequently include Schröder references when cataloguing Katz editions. Examples include:
- Black Hats IV — Schröder 500
- Anne — S. 240
- Pas de Deux — S. 281–285
- Flowers — S. 731–737
A range such as S. 281–285 indicates that a portfolio contains several individually catalogued works.
What Should Match the Alex Katz Catalogue Raisonné?
Finding the correct catalogue number is only the first step. The physical print should also correspond with the documented:
- Medium and paper
- Dimensions
- Edition and proof structure
- Signature and numbering
- Printer and publisher
- Relevant stamps or portfolio components
A material discrepancy should be researched before the work is bought, sold or valued.
Does a Schröder Number Prove an Alex Katz Print Is Authentic?
No. A Schröder number establishes that a Katz work or edition is documented; it does not independently authenticate the individual physical impression.
The object should still correspond with the documented medium, dimensions, paper, signature, edition structure, printer, publisher and markings.
Learn more: How to Authenticate an Alex Katz Print →
Why Catalogue References Matter to Alex Katz Values
Correct catalogue identification is essential when comparing prices because visually similar Katz works can differ significantly in scale, medium, edition, date and market demand. The most useful comparable is generally the same documented work and edition.
Learn more: Alex Katz Print Values & Prices →
Red Flags When an Alex Katz Catalogue Reference Does Not Match
Potential concerns include:
- Catalogue number corresponding to a different image
- Incorrect medium, paper or dimensions
- Edition size inconsistent with the catalogue
- Undocumented proof designation
- Signature placement inconsistent with the edition
- Incorrect printer or publisher
- Missing documented portfolio components
A discrepancy does not automatically establish that a work is inauthentic, but it should be reconciled with the catalogue documentation before the work is bought, sold or valued.
Buying a Documented Alex Katz Print
Before purchasing, confirm that the catalogue reference, medium, dimensions, edition, signature and paper correspond with the documented work.
Explore Alex Katz Prints for Sale →
Selling or Evaluating an Alex Katz Print
If you own a Katz print and know its Schröder number—or are unsure which reference applies—Masterworks Fine Art can review the catalogue documentation, edition, signature, condition and provenance.
Request a Confidential Alex Katz Evaluation →
Frequently Asked Questions About the Alex Katz Catalogue Raisonné
What does S. mean on an Alex Katz print?
S. is commonly used in auction and market cataloguing as an abbreviated reference to the Schröder catalogue raisonné number for a Katz print.
What is a Schröder number?
A Schröder number identifies a documented Alex Katz print or edition in the catalogue raisonné edited by Gunhild Bauer and Klaus Albrecht Schröder.
Why is there an online Alex Katz catalogue supplement?
The official supplement records projects finalized after publication and updates to information in the printed catalogue. It is particularly useful when researching recent Katz editions.
Does a Schröder number authenticate an Alex Katz print?
No. It identifies the documented work or edition. The individual physical impression must still correspond with the documented specifications.
