Robert Longo is an American artist best known for his detailed photorealistic drawings of jumping figures, sharks, tigers, and guns. Drawn in charcoal, graphite, and ink, his monochrome series Men in the City renders businessmen and women in a state of suspended animation, and brought the artist critical acclaim in the early 1980s. Born on January 7, 1953 in Brooklyn, NY, Longo studied sculpture with Cindy Sherman at the State University College in Buffalo, NY where he received his BFA in 1975. “I always think that drawing is a sculptural process,” Longo has explained. “I always feel like I’m carving the image out rather than painting the image. I’m carving it out with erasers and tools like that.” He has gone on to have his work shown at the 1983 and 2004 Whitney Biennial in New York and the 47th Venice Biennale. Longo currently lives and works in New York, NY. The artist’s works are held in the collections of the Albertina in Vienna, the Art Institute of Chicago, The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Tate Gallery in London, and the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, among others. ( More complete Bio available).
Why we Like this work.
Technology has advanced rapidly in the past few years. X-rays and other medical techniques are no longer just for diagnosis any longer. The use of these technologies has offered great insight into the artist’s creative process. Each scan separates and expose unseen layers which create the finished work. Longos fascination is often based on the history of art and this series was very special to him and his whole body of work.
This particular work was done as a Maquette and also as a large format work which the Artist ended up keeping for his own collection.Pictured below are both works in the studio in process.
These works have done well rising in value each year. The work below is priced below market and is available immediately.
Robert Longo $ 65,000
Study for X-Ray of Rembrandt’s
Head of Christ c. 1655 (1A), 2014
Ink and charcoal on vellum
50,5 x 40,6 cm (19 7/8 x 16 in)
From the Monograph Luminous Discontent
from the essay by Olivia
The drawing pinned in the studio as the full sized work is being worked on
The final Large format Drawing
