Richard Estes is the standard-bearer of photorealist painting and its most devoted and accomplished practitioner. Estes encapsulates timeless, pristine images of the city, and over the last half-century, this process has captured the world with a rare kind of integrity as it changes—our cities, our landscapes, our rituals—slow and steady, then all at once.
Estes' cityscapes, with their dynamic perspectives and invisible brushstrokes, are often recognized but seldom understood. Richard Estes: Cityscapes brings together some half dozen paintings of New York produced over 40 years which challenge our understanding of the built environment and unveil a new appreciation for the city and its many facets of life.
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Richard Estes (b. 1932)Walgreens, c. 1980-82Signed at lower right: ESTESOil on board13½ x 20¼ inches
34.3 x 51.4 cmRichard Estes' Walgreens demonstrates his innovative approach to photorealist painting through his signature "slant/reflections" technique. By positioning his viewpoint at an angle to the storefront, Estes creates a visual puzzle where the transparent glass reveals the store's interior while simultaneously reflecting the street scene outside. This compositional strategy transforms a mundane drugstore facade into a meditation on urban perception and reality. Though deeply informed by photography, Estes transcends mere mechanical reproduction. He uses photographs as preliminary sketches, allowing him to construct intricate visuals that exceed what a single photograph could capture. Walgreens epitomizes how Estes elevates everyday urban scenes into complex statements about perception, reality, and representation, making him not simply a photorealist but a keen observer and interpreter of modern urban life. -
Richard Estes (b. 1932)Hotel Entrance, 2019Signed and dated at lower right: RICHARD ESTES 2019Oil on board18 x 24 inches
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For additional information about Richard Estes: Cityscapes or any of the works presented, please be in touch with Alana Ricca at alana@schoelkopfgallery.com or (212) 879 - 8815
