Provenance
The artist; sold through Frumkin Gallery, New York to Hank and Gilda Buchbinder, Chicago, Feb. 19, 1973; promised as a gift to the Art Institute of Chicago, Sept. 12, 2023.
Accession Number
269537
Medium
Oil on Canvas
Dimensions
182.9 × 152.4 cm (72 × 60 in.)
Classification
Painting
Credit Line
Promised gift of Henry and Gilda Buchbinder Family
Background & Context
Background Story
Philip Pearlstein's Couple on Old Indian Rug (1977) depicts a nude couple on a patterned rug with Pearlstein's characteristic unidealized realism. Pearlstein (born 1924) was a leading figure in the revival of realist figure painting in post-war America, known for his cropped compositions and emphasis on the physical reality of the body.
Cultural Impact
Pearlstein was a leading figure in the revival of realist figure painting in America.
Why It Matters
This painting captures the physical reality of the human form with unflinching honesty.
