Alex Katz (b. 1927) has been dedicated to art-making since the 1950's - however, it wasn't until the 60's when he established his signature 'flat' figurative style. Over the succeeding decades, Katz kept the tradition of figurative painting alive as it had gone out of style.
Katz typically portrays subjects that he is personally connected to, his neighborhoods (like SoHo cityscapes and the flora of Maine) and the people in his life. "Large Head of Vincent" captures Katz's son, a frequent subject in his oeuvre.
This larger than life portrait features Vincent from the neck up, wearing a dark red patterned collared shirt under a speckled, tan knit sweater. The profile is rendered in richly incised outlines and impactful planes of colour, distilling Vincent to his essence.
Although an imposing size, there is a softness to depiction of this young man. With a relaxed expression and harmonious features, Vincent stands on inoffensive display. The close-cropped format draws viewers in to an intimate encounter with the sitter, as he is captured with a sense of immediacy and clarity.
A compelling exploration of personality, composition, and mystery, "Large Head of Vincent" exemplifies Katz's mastery of form, colour, and the dynamics of perception.
For Katz, printmaking has always been an essential part of his process, and as an integral part of his oeuvre. He first began experimenting with printmaking while attending Cooper Union, where he earned his BA in 1949. Though he focused on painting in his early career, he embraced printmaking in the mid-1960s with fervour, and has since created more than 400 editions of lithographs, etchings, silkscreens, woodcuts, and linoleum cuts.
Editions of this print are in the permanent collections of The National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.
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"Large Head of Vincent"
USA, 1982
Sugar lift aquatint in nine colors (printing plate cut along the contour) on Arches Cover paper; torn edges
Signed "Alex Katz" and numbered "41/50" by the artist in pencil, lower left of plate
From an edition of 50
61”H 35.5”W (sheet)
63.25"H 38.25"W (framed)
Printed by Orlando Condeso, Condeso & Brokopp, New York
Published by Brooke Alexander, Inc., New York
Very good condition.
Literature:
- Maravell 1983, cat. no. 131; exh. cat. New York 1987, cat. no. 33
- Alex Katz: Catalogue Raisonné, prints: 1947-2023, listed as cat. no. 155 on page 175
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