(1924 - )
1975
Oil on linen
72 x 54 in. (182.9 x 137.2 cm)
Collection of the Akron Art Museum
Purchased, by exchange, with funds raised by the Masked Ball 1955-1963
1980.46
Pearlstein is best known for the realistic representations of nude figures that he paints from life in his studio. He treats his models in a detached way usually reserved for inanimate objects, dramatically foreshortening his figures and cropping them at odd angles. However, Pearlstein dignifies his subjects through their monumental scale and the precision with which they are painted. 'Model with Legs Up,' one of the artist’s most elegant compositions, is notable for the complexity of the skin tones and textile patterns and for the artist’s almost playful treatment of shadows on the wall.