A Look Inside Brooklyn’s Gallery of Authentic Prints and Lithographs

Bernard Rougerie, founder of Art Wise, spoke to Art & Object in October 2024 about his approach to selling affordable, original, high-quality works on paper to buyers and collectors with a discerning eye. 

A slight French accent hints at Rougerie’s roots in French-speaking Quebec. He admits, “I speak Spanish, German, and Italian, in addition to French and English, which greatly facilitates my ability to work directly with publishers in Europe. You are trusted when you speak their language.”   

Rougerie is articulate about the art market, but he did not study art. “I can’t draw a straight line. I studied math at the University of Quebec.” As a child and teenager, Rougerie’s acquisitive tendency was expressed in collecting stamps and coins. 

He came to New York City in the 1980s. “My partner owned a poster store. I worked with her in the store, which was not a gallery, but set up with a very European approach. It was named ‘French Kisses.’ We were on the corner of Bleeker Street, and we were considered ‘very cool.’”   

A transition happened when Rougerie moved into the wholesale arena. Originally, the company sold posters through catalogues. “I developed the concept for the company in 1992. We started our online platform very early, back in 1995 when most households were still on dial-up…

I visited a lot of museums in Europe and learned about how to evaluate work…I started buying Pop Art posters from the Tate Gallery. Posters are a way of experiencing history. They are like time stamps. One was a Warhol Marilyn poster from 1967 that is now very valuable.”  

Art Wise specializes in selling Modern and Contemporary rare posters, lithographs, prints, and signed works of art from around the world. Pablo Picasso, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Indiana, Alex Katz, Robert Rauschenberg, David Hockney, Frank Stella, Andy Warhol, and Tom Wesselmann are among the luminaries in their catalogue. 

Many of their products are out of print and difficult to find. Rougerie explains, “I curate the collection. I’m careful with my selection and my sources. I avoid selling Dali, or Miro. There’s too much controversy [about authenticity].”

Located in a 2,500 sq. ft. loft on the 4th floor of a historic warehouse building in the DUMBO (an acronym for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) area of Brooklyn, Art Wise welcomes collectors who prefer the option of seeing the actual work, rather than shopping long distance online. 

Not designed as a gallery, they have regular Monday through Friday business hours, making it possible to just stop in and browse their racks and bins without an appointment. Rougerie explains, “The exclusively-online buyer differs from a collector who visits the shop. 

The person shopping online is usually looking for something specific in color or size for decor. The collector would view our collection online and then come and see us…We have over 5,000 works. They see that we go after artists that are not as readily available.” 

The importance of a verifiable signature in establishing value is clearly evident in the price. It is one of the searchable categories at Art Wise. You can get The Seasons, a signed 1990 Jasper Johns’ etching, for $20,000.

David Hockney’s signed lithograph, a portrait of Yves Marie (1974), is listed at $12,500. The photos of the work clearly show the pencil signature, the numbered edition 43/75, the decaled edge of the thick Arches paper that also bears the printer's embossed blind stamp. These elements are important indicators of authenticity and the presence of the artist’s hand in the publication process. 

Art Wise also offers the option to buy on-time and a full-service framing operation. Like a gallerist, Rougerie and the well-informed Art Wise staff are dedicated to educating new collectors, guiding their choices, and introducing them to a wide range of artistic styles and palettes. 

As for the future, Rougerie comments, “We’ve noticed a trend that buyers wanted smaller, framed pieces in the $200-$500 range.” You can also get The Bath, a 1991 Fernando Botero lithograph, for under $100, which at one point was so popular they sold 500 of them. Today, it has fallen out of favor, reflecting how quickly tastes can change. 

Despite the challenges of rising costs and online competition, Rougerie remains undaunted, “I enjoy what I do. I have a great staff. We will continue maintaining a high curatorial level, listening to our base and position the best images on the best platforms.”

IVPDA International Vintage Poster Dealers Association member: When buying an original vintage poster, look for members displaying the IVPDA logo and buy with confidence.