Achievements: Notable figures she has painted include Kurt Cobain, Barack and Michelle Obama, Leonardo DiCaprio, and David Bowie. Her portrait of Leonardo DiCaprio sold for $1 million at Christie's auction house in 2013. In 2021, her portrait of David Bowie went into a bidding war at Sotheby's auction house between six bidders and ended at $2.1 million. | About the Artist: Peyton studied at the School of Visual Arts in New York. After graduation, Peyton worked several jobs, but was slow to receive recognition of her work, holding only one solo exhibition in six years. In 1993, her second solo exhibition, which featured images of famous historical and literary figures, opened to great critical acclaim. Her later portraits of rock stars and celebrities have been hailed for their expert use of color and design. Peyton is best known for her intimate, small-scale portraits of celebrities, friends, and historical figures. She paints from both life and from varied source material like found photographs, film stills, famous paintings, or mass media images. Her portraits, lovingly created with gestural brushstrokes of diluted oil paint, investigate how art and mass media affect the viewer's emotional and intellectual response to the person depicted. Peyton chooses subjects who are objects of her admiration or fascination – “I’m interested in making pictures of artists whose work inspires me.” she says. |
Sources:
https://www.moma.org/artists/8042
http://www.artnet.com/artists/elizabeth-peyton/biography
https://gagosian.com/artists/elizabeth-peyton/
https://www.moma.org/artists/8042
http://www.artnet.com/artists/elizabeth-peyton/biography
https://gagosian.com/artists/elizabeth-peyton/