Robert Alan Bechtle

In the early 1960s and 1970s, a new artistic movement emerged in the United States. Emerging from Pop Art, as a reaction against Abstract Expressionism, a group of artists—seemingly independent of one another—sought to develop a new form of painting. The common denominator of this new type of painting was its starting point: a photographic image. The camera and its possibilities were recognized and inspired new techniques, and artists began to paint based on photographs. This new form of painting became known as photorealism, with leading figures including artists such as Richard Estes and Chuck Close.

Robert Bechtle was also one of the pioneers of photorealism. He spent his entire career in his hometown of San Francisco, and it is the city and American life that he dedicated his art to. Many of his paintings depict environments characteristic of San Francisco, particularly the Bay Area—the steep hills, American cars, and the city’s distinctive architecture recur frequently.

The starting point for Bechtle’s works is always a photograph. The quiet, tranquil America he portrays is rendered in a sun-faded color palette with a suggestive atmosphere, offering the viewer an intimate glimpse into American life.