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Chuck Close Portrait Photography

American, 1940-2021

Chuck Close was renowned for his highly inventive techniques of painting the human face and was best known for his large-scale, photo-based portrait paintings.

After earning his MFA from Yale in 1964, Close took his place atop the American art world by creating large-scale, Photorealistic portraits that have creatively blurred the distinction between photography and painting. In 1988, Close was paralyzed following a rare spinal artery collapse; despite the physical limitations, the artist pressed forward with his work. With a brush taped to his wrist, he continued to paint.

In 2000, Close was presented with the prestigious National Medal of Arts by President Clinton and was appointed by President Obama to serve on the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.

"Yes, it is hard to paint blur," Close said. "There are some works I made by using a grid of string to help me perceive changes in depth of focus — something artists have done for centuries. The depth of field in the daguerreotypes is a function of the process of making an image that way, with a very short, very bright flash of light."

Although Close had employed various painterly styles throughout his career, he is perhaps best known for his grid set on the diagonal. Close’s paintings are all-over images where the background of the picture – the negative space – is as important as the face itself, and one cannot exist without the other.

Close often took his family and friends as models, making monumental and classical works that are bold in their simplicity. His work has been the subject of more than 200 solo exhibitions in more than 20 countries, including major retrospective exhibitions at New York's Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia de Madrid and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

(Biography provided by Weng Contemporary – ArtXX AG)

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Artist: Chuck Close
Untitled (Kate #11)

Chuck CloseUntitled (Kate #11), 2005

$15,000

Untitled (Kate #11)

By Chuck Close

Located in Calabasas, CA

Artist: Chuck Close Title: Untitled (Kates #11) Year: 2005 Medium: Digital pigment print on Hahnemuhle Satin paper Edition: 25; signed, dated and numbered in pencil Sheet: 17 x 22 inches (43.18 x 55.88 cm) Frame: 19 1/2 x 24 1/2 inches (49.53 x 62.23 cm) Certificate of Authenticity included For its September 2003 issue, W. magazine commissioned artists Richard Prince, Takashi Murakami, Lisa Yuskavage...

Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Chuck Close Portrait Photography

Materials

Digital Pigment

Dalai Lama

Chuck CloseDalai Lama, 2005

$7,500

Dalai Lama

By Chuck Close

Located in Calabasas, CA

Artist: Chuck Close Title: Dalai Lama Year: 2005 Medium: Digital pigment print on Hahnemuhle Photo Rag paper Edition: 300; signed, dated and numbered in pen...

Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Chuck Close Portrait Photography

Materials

Digital Pigment

Untitled (Kate #13)
Untitled (Kate #13)

Chuck CloseUntitled (Kate #13), 2005

$15,000

Untitled (Kate #13)

By Chuck Close

Located in Calabasas, CA

Artist: Chuck Close Title: Untitled (Kates #13) Year: 2005 Medium: Digital pigment print on Hahnemuhle Satin paper Edition: 25; signed, dated and numbered in pencil Sheet: 17 x 22 in...

Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Chuck Close Portrait Photography

Materials

Digital Pigment

Untitled (Kate #15)

Chuck CloseUntitled (Kate #15), 2005

$25,000

Untitled (Kate #15)

By Chuck Close

Located in Calabasas, CA

Artist: Chuck Close Title: Untitled (Kates #15) Year: 2005 Medium: Digital pigment print on Hahnemuhle Satin paper Edition: 25 + Proofs; signed, dated and numbered in pencil Sheet: 2...

Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Chuck Close Portrait Photography

Materials

Digital Pigment

Untitled (Kate #14)

Chuck CloseUntitled (Kate #14), 2005

$25,000

Untitled (Kate #14)

By Chuck Close

Located in Calabasas, CA

Artist: Chuck Close Title: Untitled (Kates #14) Year: 2005 Medium: Digital pigment print on Hahnemuhle Satin paper Edition: 25 + Proofs; signed, dated and numbered in pencil Sheet: 20 x 16 inches (50.8 x 40.64 cm) Frame: 22 5/8 x `18 5/8 inches (57.4 x 47.2 cm) Certificate of Authenticity included For its September 2003 issue, W. magazine commissioned artists Richard Prince, Takashi Murakami, Lisa...

Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Chuck Close Portrait Photography

Materials

Digital Pigment

SELF PORTRAIT 2
SELF PORTRAIT 2

Chuck CloseSELF PORTRAIT 2, 2002

$10,000Sale Price|20% Off

SELF PORTRAIT 2

By Chuck Close

Located in Aventura, FL

Hand signed, numbered and dated by the artist in pencil. From the Self Portrait 1-5 series. Artwork is in excellent condition. Image size: 25 x 19 inches. Frame size: 32.6 x 25.75 in...

Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Chuck Close Portrait Photography

Materials

Paper, Photographic Film

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Chuck CloseUntitled (Kate #16), 2005

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Chuck Close portrait photography for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Chuck Close portrait photography available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Chuck Close in digital pigment print, pigment print, film and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 21st century and contemporary and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large Chuck Close portrait photography, so small editions measuring 16 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Rachel Papo, Yvette Marie Dostatni, and Edward Steichen. Chuck Close portrait photography prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $5,000 and tops out at $25,000, while the average work can sell for $12,500.

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Questions About Chuck Close Portrait Photography
  • Where did Chuck Close live?
    1 Answer
    1stDibs ExpertMay 3, 2024
    Chuck Close lived in a few places. He was born in Monroe, Washington, in 1940 and grew up in the area. Close attended Everett Community College in Everett, Washington, and received his bachelor's degree from the University of Washington in Seattle. Then, he relocated to Connecticut to pursue a master's degree from Yale University. His studies would also prompt him to move to Vienna, Austria, to take courses at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. After graduation, Close settled in the Amherst, Massachusetts, area while working at the University of Massachusetts. In 1967, he moved again to New York City, New York, to establish his own studio in Soho. Close died in 2021 in Oceanside, New York. Explore a variety of Chuck Close art on 1stDibs.
  • Why did Chuck Close paint portraits?
    1 Answer
    1stDibs ExpertAugust 8, 2024
    Chuck Close stated that he painted portraits as a way to overcome a cognitive disorder. Called prosopagnosia, or face blindness, the condition made it difficult for Close to differentiate and recognize faces. The American artist found that painting people's faces helped him to notice their fine details, allowing him to begin to notice differences. On 1stDibs, shop a range of Chuck Close art.
  • What type of art did Chuck Close make?
    1 Answer
    1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Chuck Close is most well-known for doing paintings, but he also worked as a photographer. The American artist is most famous for creating huge portraits of himself in both abstract and photorealistic styles. Find a collection of Chuck Close art on 1stDibs.
  • How much are Chuck Close paintings worth?
    1 Answer
    1stDibs ExpertOctober 24, 2024
    How much Chuck Close paintings are worth depends on their size, condition, historical significance and other factors. In 2005, his piece John sold for $4.8 million at auction in New York City. The painting was one of the large-scale, photo-based portrait paintings for which the American painter was widely known. These portraits creatively blur the distinction between photography and painting. If you own a Close painting, a certified appraiser or knowledgeable art dealer can assist you with the valuation process. Shop an assortment of Chuck Close art on 1stDibs.