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Raphael Soyer was arguably the preeminent American realist
of the 20th century. During a period in which abstraction was
the dominant movement in art, Soyer adhered to the principles
of the academy. In his writings he stressed the importance of
line and the constant drawing of the figure. While primarily
producing drawings and prints, he also painted in oil. Although
he is most often thought of as a chronicler of New York City
life, in the 1960's he did a number of straightforward individual
portraits in which he defined the character of the sitter with
insight and sympathy. He never accepted commissions for portraits,
as he was interested only in the private, inner person, not their
public persona. He particularly wanted to portray the effects
of the modern world on the psyche. Here, a young girl is caught
on the verge of adolescence; the awkward, uncertain, but exquisitely
fresh moment before maturity. She wears the jumper of a girl
but her hair and features are almost those of a woman.
Raphael Soyer emigrated with his family to New York's Lower
East side from Russia at the age of fourteen. His brother Moses,
who was his identical twin, and his brother Isaac, were also
artists. Raphael received considerable acclaim in his lifetime,
with major retrospective exhibitions initiated by the Whitney
Museum of Art and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.
Today, his work is included in the collections of over 60 major
museums. |
