Thomas Ruff (German, b. 1958) Porträt

Description:

Thomas Ruff (German, b. 1958)

Porträt, 1986. Signed, numbered, and dated "Thomas Ruff 2/3..." in pencil on the reverse l.r. Chromogenic print face-mounted to acrylic, image size 65 3/4 x 51 in. (167.0 x 129.5 cm),framed.
Condition: Subtle surface scratches in margin l.r., tape residue or similar below sitter's chin.

Provenance: Collection of Maria Lopez and Stephen Mindich, Massachusetts.

N.B. Ruff began making portraits around 1980 at a time when the genre had largely disappeared from the curriculum of the Staatlichen Kunstakademie in Düsseldorf where he was a student. He decided on a specific format: bust-length portraits of sitters in their regular clothes with calm, serious expressions on their faces. Between 1981 and 1985, Ruff photographed his subjects against a colored background and made prints measuring approximately 9 1/2 x 7 inches. Beginning in 1986, he began using a neutral background and printing at a much larger scale so that the presence of both the sitter and the photograph become intensified, as is apparent in this monumental image.
Estimate $2,000-3,000

Frame measures 85 7/8 x 69 in. (218.1 x 175.3 cm). The back of the work is visible, as the work is framed without a backing. Given the scale of the work shipping it out of the frame would be a tremendous challenge for the safety of the photograph.


Items may have wear and tear, imperfections, or the effects of aging. Any condition statement given, as a courtesy to a client, is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Skinner shall have no responsibility for any error or omission.

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