Richard Estes is not only an important contemporary artist; he is also an important American artist. This book will explore that dual premise through at least three broad topics, the first being his art seen in the context of contemporary realism and especially Estes' position as leader of the so-calledPhotorealist group of artists emerging in the 1970s. A second goal will be to consider how his art and imagery belongs to the rich American tradition of urban landscape, from nineteenth-century prints of New York City to the city views of Joseph Stella, Walker Evans, Edward Hopper, and oth ers in the twentieth century. This tradition in turn extends back even further to the topographical scenes painted in seventeenth-century Holland by Vermeer and ones of eighteenth-century Venice by Antonio Canaletto and Bernardo Bellotto, for whom Estes has expressed particular admiration.

RICHARD ESTES, the American "king of photorealism," is regarded as one of the most important witnesses to the New York urban landscape. The crisp, clarity of Estes' paintings is reminiscent of photography, yet upon closer inspection his work reveals elements and perspectives that do not exist in reality. Like the artist Red Grooms, he is a true New York artist; Estes views the shop windows and street signs as his subjects, and gives his own unique perspective of city life. His hyper-crisp, people-less streetscapes have more to do with minimalism and realism than with traditional landscape painting. The book illustrates his fifty years of work and includes many recently completed paintings, published here for the first time.

Author John Wilmerding is one of the most respected and widely known authorities on American art, and he takes a fresh look at this significant realist painter. The text covers the artist's themes and techniques and the inspiration of other artists such as Vermeer, Canaletto, Frederic Church, Edward Hopper, and Walker Evans.

This book encompasses Estes' entire oeuvre and is an essential resource for all collectors of his work.

Richard Estes: The Abstraction of Reality  

Biography and Early Work

Artistic Precedents and Correlations  

New York Streetscapes

Further Afield

Other Cities at Home and Abroad

New York Close Up

Landscapes, Reflections, Still Lifes, and Portraits

Close Up

Staten Island Ferry and Water Paintings

Aspects of Still Life

The Big Apple of His Eye

Notes 

Public Collections and Exhibitions