Rudolph Otto “Rudy” Pozzatti (1925–2021) was an American painter, printmaker, and educator renowned for his mastery of lithography, etching, and other printmaking techniques. Born in Telluride, Colorado, on January 14, 1925, he studied at the University of Colorado, earning a BFA in 1948 and an MFA in 1950. His early influences included Max Beckmann and Ben Shahn, and he later worked at the Tamarind Lithography Workshop in Los Angeles under John Rock.
Pozzatti taught at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and then at Indiana University at Bloomington, where he developed one of the leading printmaking programs in the U.S. In 1979, he co-founded Echo Press with David Keister. He received numerous honors, including a Fulbright grant (1952–53), a Guggenheim Fellowship (1963–64), and a Ford Foundation grant (1963). In 1981, he was elected a member of the National Academy of Design.
Pozzatti’s work spans architecture, landscape, and figurative subjects, often with layered textures and expressive detail. His prints are known for their mid-century modern graphic design sensibility and technical precision. Notable series include Bugs (1963), a portfolio of ten color lithographs, and works inspired by classical figures such as Brunelleschi, Vesalius, and Louis XI. Pozzatti was celebrated for his prolific output, international travels, and contributions to printmaking education. His work bridges fine art and graphic design, and his influence endures in both academic programs and private collections worldwide. The National Gallery of Art holds several of his works, including Apollo (1970), Homage to Brunelleschi (1968), and Portrait (1965). His prints are also in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum, the Library of Congress, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
