Skip to main content
Gregory Gillespie (1936–2000) was known for his intensely detailed realistic paintings. After attending the Cooper Union School of Art in New York and the San Francisco Art Institute, he spent eight years in Italy studying the work of Renaissance artists. Mantegna, Carpaccio, and Carlo Crivelli were among the Italian painters he particularly admired and emulated in his meticulous renderings. While he painted landscapes, street scenes, and interiors, his favorite topic was self-portraiture. Turning an analytical eye on himself, he scrutinized every detail closely, including his beard and various hairdos. Mirroring his Italian models, Gillespie was occasionally called “obsessive.” [1]
Notes:
[1] Roberta Smith, “Gregory Gillespie, 64, An Unflinching Painter,” The New York Times, April 29, 2000.
ProvenanceFrom 1993
Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Winston-Salem, NC, given by the artist in December 1993. [1]
Notes:
[1] Email from artist, June 13, 2006, object file.
Exhibition History2006
Self/Image: Portraiture from Copley to Close
Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Winston-Salem, NC (8/30/2006-12/30/2006)
Published References
DepartmentAmerican Art
Gregory Gillespie
Artist
Susan Mullally
(born 1947)
Subject
Gregory Gillespie
(1936 - 2000)
Date1982
Mediumsilver gelatin print
DimensionsFrame: 14 1/4 x 17 1/4 in. (36.2 x 43.8 cm)
Paper: 8 3/8 x 14 in. (21.3 x 35.6 cm)
Image: 6 3/8 x 12 in. (16.2 x 30.5 cm)
SignedSusan Mullally Clark 1982
Credit LineGift of the Artist
Copyright© Susan Mullally
Object number1987.2.6
DescriptionPhotographer Susan Mullally seems to have caught her subject, painter Gregory Gillespie, a bit off guard. He stands, unposed, frowning at the camera. In the background are the opened French doors of Reynolda House’s sun porch and a glimpse inside showing the backs of three chairs. Gillespie wears a simple cotton t-shirt with a pocket. He has a shaggy moustache, hair combed forward, full eyebrows, and a large nose. Gregory Gillespie (1936–2000) was known for his intensely detailed realistic paintings. After attending the Cooper Union School of Art in New York and the San Francisco Art Institute, he spent eight years in Italy studying the work of Renaissance artists. Mantegna, Carpaccio, and Carlo Crivelli were among the Italian painters he particularly admired and emulated in his meticulous renderings. While he painted landscapes, street scenes, and interiors, his favorite topic was self-portraiture. Turning an analytical eye on himself, he scrutinized every detail closely, including his beard and various hairdos. Mirroring his Italian models, Gillespie was occasionally called “obsessive.” [1]
Notes:
[1] Roberta Smith, “Gregory Gillespie, 64, An Unflinching Painter,” The New York Times, April 29, 2000.
ProvenanceFrom 1993
Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Winston-Salem, NC, given by the artist in December 1993. [1]
Notes:
[1] Email from artist, June 13, 2006, object file.
Exhibition History2006
Self/Image: Portraiture from Copley to Close
Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Winston-Salem, NC (8/30/2006-12/30/2006)
Published References
Status
Not on view