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Robert Longo — Study of Polar Bear (Bresson's au hasard Balthazar) #1; Study of Tiger (Bresson's au hasard Balthazar) #2; Study of Monkey (Bresson's au hasard Balthazar) #3
Robert Longo

Study of Polar Bear (Bresson's au hasard Balthazar) #1; Study of Tiger (Bresson's au hasard Balthazar) #2; Study of Monkey (Bresson's au hasard Balthazar) #3

2010

Robert Longo's three-part drawing series renders a polar bear, tiger, and monkey in his signature monumental hyperrealism, executed in ink and charcoal on translucent vellum. Each animal is depicted with breathtaking precision and tonal depth, the medium lending the works an ethereal, luminous quality that simultaneously grounds and elevates the subjects. Referencing Robert Bresson's 1966 film *Au hasard Balthazar*, in which animals serve as silent witnesses to human cruelty and grace, Longo's creatures carry a similar weight of mute, dignified observation.

Medium
ink and charcoal on vellum, in 3 parts

🔨 Auction Lot

20th Century & Contemporary Art Day Sale

June 26, 2018

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About this work

Robert Longo, Study of Polar Bear (Bresson's au hasard Balthazar) #1; Study of Tiger (Bresson's au hasard Balthazar) #2; Study of Monkey (Bresson's au hasard Balthazar) #3, 2010

Robert Longo's three-part drawing series renders a polar bear, tiger, and monkey in his signature monumental hyperrealism, executed in ink and charcoal on translucent vellum. Each animal is depicted with breathtaking precision and tonal depth, the medium lending the works an ethereal, luminous quality that simultaneously grounds and elevates the subjects. Referencing Robert Bresson's 1966 film *Au hasard Balthazar*, in which animals serve as silent witnesses to human cruelty and grace, Longo's creatures carry a similar weight of mute, dignified observation.

Medium
ink and charcoal on vellum, in 3 parts
Year
2010
Seen at
Phillips, New York, London, Hong Kong

Related themes

Male Artist, Monumental Scale, Charcoal Drawing, American Artist, Works on Paper, Contemporary Art, Triptych, Animal Subject, Hyperrealism, Neo-Expressionism, Black and White, Cinematic Reference

More works by Robert Longo

Collected by

Alex Capecelatro, Hamilton Selway Gallery