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Unlike Newman, who often shot the artists in their workspaces, Mullally was required to photograph her subjects at Reynolda; rarely did she have the opportunity to include telling objects in her compositions. Her depiction of Philip Pearlstein, however, is a powerful exception. Not unlike Newman’s famous portrait of composer Igor Stravinsky overwhelmed by a grand piano, painter Pearlstein is marginalized in the lower left of the photograph. The thin vertical format emphasizes the dominance of the large canvas behind him. In the painting, from the collection of Barbara B. Millhouse, two over-life-size figures pose languidly in the artist’s studio. The upper figure is male and nude, with highly developed muscles; he sits on a conventional stool. His head is cropped—a hallmark of Pearlstein’s style. Below him, a partially draped female figure lies back in an antique rocking chair with her left arm raised above her head. The models are detached from one another and exude a mood of boredom. Pearlstein appears to share this sentiment, as he sits with his arms crossed over his chest and gazes up at the camera. He is balding, wearing wire-rimmed glasses, a dark jacket, sweater, and shirt. To the right is a detail of the tile flooring at Reynolda House.
Pearlstein, born in 1924, gained notoriety for his large-scale nude compositions at a time when abstraction was all the rage. Reviving a venerable subject, Pearlstein gave it his own twist: figures do not interact, are often cropped by the frame, and are bathed in a harsh cool light. His hard muscular flesh is the direct antithesis to that of Peter Paul Rubens. Pearlstein often included brightly colored textiles such as rugs for visual relief, and in the painting in the Mullally photograph, the same effect is achieved by the kimono-style cloth around the female nude. He is represented in the Reynolda House collection by a soft ground etching, Nude on Dahomey Stool, 1974–1975.
Notes:
[1] Mullally to Martha R. Severens, email communication, August 23, 2011.
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
Philip Pearlstein
Artist
Susan Mullally
(born 1947)
Subject
Philip Pearlstein
((1924 - 2022))
Date1982
Mediumsilver gelatin print
DimensionsFrame: 17 1/4 x 14 1/4 in. (43.8 x 36.2 cm)
Paper: 14 x 8 in. (35.6 x 20.3 cm)
Image: 11 7/8 x 6 in. (30.2 x 15.2 cm)
SignedSusan Mullally Clark 1982
Credit LineGift of the Artist
Copyright© Susan Mullally
Object number1987.2.10
DescriptionAmong the photographers admired by Susan Mullally, the one that stands out is Arnold Newman. His ability to portray his sitters in meaningful settings and his Artists Look Like This series served as models for Mullally as she photographed artists visiting Reynolda House. In addition, she encouraged the purchase of some of his photographs. “I initiated the idea of the purchase of the Arnold Newman prints because I admired his work and had taken a workshop with him, knew of his portraits of artists, and wanted to connect the Newman portraits to the artists’ pieces in the collection.” [1]Unlike Newman, who often shot the artists in their workspaces, Mullally was required to photograph her subjects at Reynolda; rarely did she have the opportunity to include telling objects in her compositions. Her depiction of Philip Pearlstein, however, is a powerful exception. Not unlike Newman’s famous portrait of composer Igor Stravinsky overwhelmed by a grand piano, painter Pearlstein is marginalized in the lower left of the photograph. The thin vertical format emphasizes the dominance of the large canvas behind him. In the painting, from the collection of Barbara B. Millhouse, two over-life-size figures pose languidly in the artist’s studio. The upper figure is male and nude, with highly developed muscles; he sits on a conventional stool. His head is cropped—a hallmark of Pearlstein’s style. Below him, a partially draped female figure lies back in an antique rocking chair with her left arm raised above her head. The models are detached from one another and exude a mood of boredom. Pearlstein appears to share this sentiment, as he sits with his arms crossed over his chest and gazes up at the camera. He is balding, wearing wire-rimmed glasses, a dark jacket, sweater, and shirt. To the right is a detail of the tile flooring at Reynolda House.
Pearlstein, born in 1924, gained notoriety for his large-scale nude compositions at a time when abstraction was all the rage. Reviving a venerable subject, Pearlstein gave it his own twist: figures do not interact, are often cropped by the frame, and are bathed in a harsh cool light. His hard muscular flesh is the direct antithesis to that of Peter Paul Rubens. Pearlstein often included brightly colored textiles such as rugs for visual relief, and in the painting in the Mullally photograph, the same effect is achieved by the kimono-style cloth around the female nude. He is represented in the Reynolda House collection by a soft ground etching, Nude on Dahomey Stool, 1974–1975.
Notes:
[1] Mullally to Martha R. Severens, email communication, August 23, 2011.
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