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David SharpePortrait of a Man1991
1991
$1,500
£1,142.75
€1,304.15
CA$2,107.85
A$2,297.19
CHF 1,216.46
MX$27,591.68
NOK 15,400.67
SEK 14,159.40
DKK 9,740.55
About the Item
David Sharpe, second-generation Chicago Imagist — 1991 figurative portrait, graphite on paper.
A psychologically charged head-and-shoulders portrait rendered entirely in graphite, emphasizing Sharpe’s incisive draftsmanship. Without color, the image leans on tonal shifts, cross-hatching, and faceted marks to build a mask-like visage that oscillates between observation and invention—classic post-Imagist Chicago: bold figuration, surreal inflection, and emotional intensity. Dated 1991, this work embodies the Chicago school’s distinctive blend of wit and bite while remaining intimately drawn and friendly in scale.
Institutional collections (selection): Art Institute of Chicago; Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago; Smart Museum of Art, University of Chicago; Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art; Mary & Leigh Block Museum of Art.
Galleries (selection): Sonia Zaks Gallery, Chicago (1992–2003 solos); Carl Hammer Gallery, Chicago; G.W. Einstein Gallery, New York; Pam Adler Gallery, New York; The Drawing Center, New York (group programs). Zaks also showed Paul Lamantia and Robert Barnes.
- Creator:David Sharpe (1936, American)
- Creation Year:1991
- Dimensions:Height: 31 in (78.74 cm)Width: 22 in (55.88 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:Brooklyn, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2874217079042

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