Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Chuck Close. It dates from 1975 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1975, this lithograph by Chuck Close presents four successive portraits of a single sitter arranged horizontally. The images increase in size from left to right, moving from a thumbnail‑scale likeness to a near‑life‑size rendering, all rendered in black and white.
Subject & Meaning
The sitter, depicted wearing glasses and a high‑neck sweater, is shown only from the head and shoulders. By presenting the same face at multiple scales, the work invites close examination of facial features and the process of visual perception.
Technique & Style
Close employed his characteristic grid system, translating a photograph into a series of printed marks that retain a hand‑drawn quality despite being produced by lithography. The stark monochrome palette and simplified line work emphasize structure over painterly detail.
History & Provenance
Part of Close’s 1970s series exploring photorealist portraiture, the lithograph reflects his shift from large‑scale paintings to print media. It was produced during a period when the artist was experimenting with reproducible techniques to investigate the mechanics of likeness.
Context
The piece aligns with the broader photorealism movement, which sought to replicate photographic precision through meticulous, often mechanical processes. Close’s systematic approach underscores the era’s interest in the intersection of art, technology, and representation.
Artist & collection
Artist
Charles Thomas Close (July 5, 1940 – August 19, 2021) was an American painter, visual artist, and photographer who made massive-scale photorealist and abstract portraits of himself and others.
