The Portrait That Set Chuck Close's Auction Record
3 min read · 09 May 2025
John. Image courtesy of Sotheby's
Chuck Close's John (1971) sold for $4.3m at Sotheby's in New York on May 10, 2005. The painting has not appeared at auction before.
The artist's photorealist portrait of fellow artist John Roy went on show at Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art the year it was completed as well as the prestigious exhibition Documenta 5 in Kassel, which is a measure of its importance. In the 1990s, John was on extended loan to the Art Institute of Chicago.
Working in black and white with an airbrush, Close began painting his own portrait and those of his friends, such as Richard Serra, from 1967 onwards, producing quietly dramatic, large-scale works.
Close returned to working with color, still basing his portraits on photographs. John is one of four works in color from this early, pivotal period in his career. In latter works he began to translate his photographic sources into pixelated portraits, also often on a grand scale.
Gwynne. Image courtesy of Christie's
The sale beat Close's previous auction record by $1.8m, a 72% rise. His previous record was set by Gwynne (1982), which sold for $2.5m at Christie's on May 11, 2004.
A Brief History of Chuck Close at Auction
Sale Date | Title | Price | Record Increase | Venue | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2005-05-10 | John | $4.3m | 72 % | Sotheby's | New York |
2004-05-11 | Gwynne | $2.5m | 92 % | Christie's | New York |
2003-05-14 | Cindy II | $1.3m | 18 % | Christie's | New York |
1999-11-16 | Cindy II | $1.1m | 182 % | Christie's | New York |
1997-11-19 | Georgia | $390,000 | 56 % | Sotheby's | New York |
1996-11-20 | Georgia - Fingerpainting | $250,000 | 19 % | Christie's | New York |
1992-11-17 | Cindy II | $210,000 | 162 % | Sotheby's | New York |
1990-05-08 | Linda's eyes I-V | $80,000 | 100 % | Christie's | New York |
1988-02-19 | Georgia | $40,000 | - | Sotheby's | New York |
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