Philip Pearlstein

Philip Pearlstein studied at Carnegie Institute of Technology and received his Masters in art history at New York University. While he was in school the Modernist Movement was taking shape, but Pearlstein challenged their rejection of the Realism. He soon became one of the most prominent and innovative artists of the Realist school.

While he is best known for his work revolving around the nude figure, Pearlstein at the beginning of his career painted many landscapes. His landscapes are done with an almost scientific appreciation for detail, encompassing the surface of the land and the shadows which give it depth in extraordinary clarity..

Pearlstein first traveled to Jerusalem to make the 10 foot long watercolor for this monumental print, Jerusalem, Kidron Valley. At the Graphic Studio atelier, of which he was the first artist to invited to work in the late 1960’s, they developed a new process specifically for this project. The “heliorelief” is a woodblock print created by sandblasting, rather than hand carving.

Images courtesy of Graphicstudio/USF