
Robert Longo
Gretchen, 1983
Lithograph
36.5 x 21 in
91.4 x 53.3 cm
91.4 x 53.3 cm
Edition of 45
Copyright The Artist
Robert Longo’s Gretchen from his renowned Men in the Cities series embodies the artist’s mastery of movement, tension, and form. Dressed in stark black against a white background, Gretchen’s body...
Robert Longo’s Gretchen from his renowned Men in the Cities series embodies the artist’s mastery of movement, tension, and form. Dressed in stark black against a white background, Gretchen’s body twists in a moment of charged energy - elegant yet disquieting, poised yet collapsing.
Longo’s precision with charcoal and graphite transforms the figure into an icon of emotional and physical intensity. Her pose suggests both resistance and surrender, capturing the psychological strain beneath the polished façade of urban life. Gretchen stands as a striking example of Longo’s ability to turn gesture into metaphor - where beauty, pressure, and vulnerability coexist in a single, unforgettable image.