Metro Weekly

The National Portrait Gallery’s look at portraiture in the age of abstraction

The Turkish Bath, Sylvia Sleigh (1916–2010), Oil on canvas, 1973
The Turkish Bath, Sylvia Sleigh (1916–2010), Oil on canvas, 1973

The National Portrait Gallery presents “Face Value: Portraiture in the Age of Abstraction,” an exhibit featuring the works of a group of young artists in the mid-20th century who defied the prevailing style of the day to focus on the face and human form. Chuck Close, Alice Neel, Elaine de Kooning, Robert Rauschenberg and Andy Warhol are just some of the well-known artists included in this survey that suggests they pushed the boundaries of portrait traditions and reinvented portraiture for the next generation.

Andy Warhol by Jamie Wyeth (born 1946), Oil on panel, 1976
Andy Warhol: Jamie Wyeth (born 1946)
Oil on panel, 1976

 

Hugh Hefner by Marisol Escobar (born 1930)  Polychromed wood, 1966–67
Hugh Hefner by Marisol Escobar (born 1930)
Polychromed wood, 1966–67

On display through Jan. 11 at the National Portrait Gallery, 8th and F Streets. NW. Call 202-633-8300 or visit npg.si.edu.

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