Richard Estes: Photorealism Pioneer and Contemporary Landscape

The article explores how landscape painting has evolved to engage with contemporary issues, using Richard Estes as a key example. Estes, a photorealist painter, is described as a giant in Contemporary Realism. The piece references an exhibition at the Frick Collection that paired a Cimabue with a related work, highlighting how small-scale blockbusters can reveal visual relationships. Other exhibitions mentioned include 'Rothko/Giotto' at the Gemäldegalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (Feb 6-May 3, 2009) and 'Picturing America: Photorealism in the 1970s' at Deutsche Guggenheim, Berlin (Mar 7-May 10, 2009). The article also recounts a dinner conversation where the author persuaded Estes to agree to an interview by flattering him.