Ann Gale: Portraits

Exhibition Website

Sep 30 2016 - Feb 12 2017

The Fralin Museum of Art at the University of Virginia is pleased to present works by American figurative painter Ann Gale, professor of Painting at the University of Washington. Largely composed of oil paintings, with a few preparatory sketches, this exhibition features portraits, painted from models in the studio, that reveal the often unseen interconnectedness between sitter, room, atmosphere and artist. Gale somehow captures, using short, layered brushstrokes and a wide-ranging if somber palette, both the physical and intangible elements that are present and evolve over the course of a lengthy process and many sittings. 

“Throughout the process of the work, every alteration of color, distance or proportion, changes my point of view, re-measures our proximity and indicates a slightly different relationship. While there is a precision to the measuring, there is also an intimacy that is revealed through intense observation. The image exists as an intricate composite of observations, revealing the fragile and momentary nature of perception.” 

The portraits reflect the endurance of both model and artist, and convey a moody sense of this mutual, shared endeavor.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website.

  • Painting
  • American
  • Contemporary
  • Portrait
  • Ann Gale

Exhibition Venues & Dates