Keith
1972
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
mezzotint in black ink on Rives BFK wove paper
Dimensions
plate: 113.35 × 89.54 cm (44 5/8 × 35 1/4 in.) sheet: 129.54 × 105.73 cm (51 × 41 5/8 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Purchased as a Gift of the Jon and Mary Shirley Foundation, Stephen Dull, Frank H. and Eva B. Buck Foundation, Nelson Blitz, Jr. and Catherine Woodard, Avalon Fund, Pepita Milmore Memorial Fund and Jordan D. Schnitzer
Accession Number
2016.90.1
Art Historical Context
**Keith** (1972) by Chuck Close is a striking mezzotint portrait that captures the essence of photorealism, a movement Close helped pioneer in the late 20th century. Close, an American artist renowned for his monumental, hyper-detailed head studies, often drew from photographs of friends and family, translating them into grids of meticulous marks. Here, he depicts Keith Hollingworth, a fellow artist, with an intense gaze that draws viewers into a meditative confrontation. Created during Close's early career peak, when he was experimenting with scale and perception, this print exemplifies his f...
About the Artist
Chuck Close
Chuck Close, born Charles Thomas Close on July 5, 1940, in Monroe, Washington, overcame significant early challenges including undiagnosed dyslexia, prosopagnosia (face blindness), a neuromuscular disorder, and nephritis that sidelined him from school. Art became his refuge; he honed his skills through private lessons and live model drawing. Close studied at Everett Community College before earnin...