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Mark Beard
Wrestler in a Green Singlet: Figurative Oil Painting of an Athlete by Mark Beard

date unknown

About the Item

Academic figurative oil painting of a muscular male athlete with a vintage green wrestling uniform "Wrestler in Singlet", Painted by Mark Beard as Bruce Sargeant (a pseudonym in homage to the figurative painting of John Singer Sargeant and fashion photography by Bruce Weber) Oil on canvas, signed upper left corner 30 x 20 inches, 34.5 x 24.5 inches in a black painted wood frame Excellent condition, the frame exhibits some wear consistent with age which is the artist's intention as the painting was made by his fictitious persona "Bruce Sargeant" who painted during the 1930's - 40's. Artwork description: This vertical, figurative portrait painting of a muscular male in a green wrestler singlet was made by Mark Beard under his fictitious artistic persona, Bruce Sargeant. Painted in a modern Academic style, the handsome athlete stands facing the viewer with one arm flexed and outstretched behind his head while the other rests on his hip. The toned physique of the handsome athlete is highlighted with deep shadows that contrast against his cool gray skin tone and rouged muscles. The figurative painting on canvas is complemented with a black painted wood frame measuring 34.5 x 24.5 inches and is signed in the upper right corner, "B. Sargeant". This piece is painted in a style that evokes the portraits of John Singer Sargent. Mark Beard is a living artist who paints under the pseudonym "Bruce Sargeant", a name created as homage to Singer Sargeant and the fashion photographer, Bruce Weber About the artist: Mark Beard is perhaps the most literal example of an artist pulled in so many different directions that he chose to “invent” six different personae in which to channel his overflowing energy and need for expression. Each painting style is radically different from the next, so it remains entirely believable that the work could stem from six completely different people of different time periods and different schools of thought. With a background in set design, Beard has always been one who could conjure total magic with anything available. For this exhibit, he returns as the beloved 20th century painter from England, Bruce Sargeant, featuring a parade of Arcadian scenes suggesting afternoons of young men sporting in the countryside, rowing, bicycling, hunting or wrestling. Clean shaven, well manicured youths pose casually, indulging every opportunity to display a titillating flex of stone-like musculature. Like modern Greek statues, Beard paints these prestigious figures oftentimes in pairs of twos and threes in a lazy state of beautiful passivity. Mark Beard keeps himself fresh with challenge, undertaking ambitious commissions and committing to weekly sketch sessions with live models in his Manhattan studio. The result of this dedicated practice is a stunning array of graphite and conte crayon drawings on Arches paper. Mark Beard, born in 1956 in Salt Lake city, now lives in New York City. His works are in museum collections worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City; the Museum of Modern Art, New York City; the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York City; the Boston Museum of Fine Arts; and the Harvard, Yale, and Princeton University Art Museums; among many others. We would not be the least bit surprised to see new ‘personas’ emerge in the coming years.
  • Creator:
    Mark Beard (1956, American)
  • Creation Year:
    date unknown
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 34.5 in (87.63 cm)Width: 24.5 in (62.23 cm)Depth: 1.5 in (3.81 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    Hudson, NY
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU2271358253
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