Nathaniel Mary Quinn Paint-Drawing Study for The Weasel For Sale

About this work

Nathaniel Mary Quinn has established himself as one of the most compelling figures in contemporary portraiture, commanding significant attention from major institutions including the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles. His works consistently perform strongly at auction and are held in distinguished private collections worldwide, reflecting the artist's ascending position within the contemporary art market. Paint-Drawing Study for The Weasel exemplifies Quinn's singular approach to the human visage, presenting a fractured yet cohesive portrait that speaks to the complexity of identity and memory. Executed in oil paint on linen canvas stretched over wood panel, the work demonstrates the artist's characteristic technique of assembling disparate facial elements into a unified whole. The resulting composition oscillates between recognition and abstraction, inviting prolonged examination as the viewer attempts to reconcile the disjointed features into a coherent likeness. Quinn's methodology draws from personal history, particularly his formative years in Chicago's Robert Taylor Homes housing project, where he developed an acute awareness of how faces carry narratives of resilience and transformation. This intimate scale of twenty inches square creates a concentrated encounter with the subject, allowing the textural qualities of the oil paint and the deliberate tension between painted passages to reveal themselves upon close inspection. The title suggests this work functions as a preparatory exploration, offering collectors insight into Quinn's creative process while standing as a resolved statement in its own right. Guy Hepner welcomes inquiries regarding the acquisition of this significant work by Nathaniel Mary Quinn. Please contact the gallery for additional information on pricing and availability.