Photo realism

DEFINITION

A painting and drawing style of the mid-20th century in which people, objects, and scenes are depicted with such naturalism that the paintings resemble photographs ??? an almost exact visual duplication of the subject. New York art dealer Louis Meisel is credited with originating the term. Most photo-realist painters have certain subjects that interest them the most: Richard Estes, reflective windows; Malcolm Morley, tourists on cruise ships; Chuck Close, portraits; Duane Hanson, human figures; Gordon Snidow, cowboys; and Mel Ramos, flashy nudes. Sources: Artlex.com, courtesy Michael Delahunt; Robert Atkins, "Art Speak"; AskART database.