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View at the museum ↗Ada I
Alex Katz1971
- Attribution
- Alex Katz American, born 1927
- Medium
- Graphite with erasing on ivory wove paper
- Physical dimensions
- 57.2 × 45.1 cm (22 9/16 × 17 13/16 in.)
- Credit line
- Jalane and Richard Davidson Collection
Museum metadata is available under CC0. Image availability and rights are separate; consult the source record.
Source rights statement: Art © Alex Katz / Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY
View the museum record ↗From the museum
Alex Katz created many female portraits throughout his career. This graphite composition of his wife, Ada—who is shown frequently in Katz’s oeuvre—is the archetype for his later portrait drawings. Although many of his pencil sketches are studies for paintings, this drawing does not relate to any known painting. In this portrait, the pencil strokes and deep contrasts between light and dark illustrate the strong presence of the sitter, and subsequently Katz’s interest in human psychology and its complexity.
Description: Art Institute of Chicago · CC BY 4.0