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Eric Fischl โ€” Motel
Eric Fischl

Motel

1984

A young boy stands in a sunlit motel room, observing a woman lying across an unmade bed in a posture that suggests both vulnerability and abandon. Fischl renders the scene in his characteristic naturalistic style, using warm, hazy light to heighten the psychological tension and ambiguity between the two figures. The diptych format reinforces a sense of fragmented narrative, inviting the viewer to piece together an unsettling domestic story laden with themes of voyeurism and coming-of-age unease.

Medium
oil on canvas, in 2 parts
Dimensions
Signed
Yes

Notes

Execution: Painted in 1984.

๐Ÿ”จ Auction Lot

Modern & Contemporary Art Day Sale, Afternoon Session

May 15, 2020

Estimate: $300,000 โ€“ $500,000

Sold: $381,000

Lot 46

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About this work

Eric Fischl, Motel, 1984

A young boy stands in a sunlit motel room, observing a woman lying across an unmade bed in a posture that suggests both vulnerability and abandon. Fischl renders the scene in his characteristic naturalistic style, using warm, hazy light to heighten the psychological tension and ambiguity between the two figures. The diptych format reinforces a sense of fragmented narrative, inviting the viewer to piece together an unsettling domestic story laden with themes of voyeurism and coming-of-age unease.

Medium
oil on canvas, in 2 parts
Dimensions
91.4 x 106.7 cm
Year
1984
Signed
Hand-signed by the artist
Seen at
Phillips, New York, London, Hong Kong

Related themes

Figurative Realism, Male Artist, Narrative Scene, Contemporary Artist, Muted Tones, Diptych, American Artist, Late 20th Century, Domestic Unease, Neo-Expressionism, Oil on Canvas

More works by Eric Fischl

Collected by

Art Institute of Chicago, Richard Caswell