The Clemente Family

Eric Fischl, The Clemente Family, 2005, oil on linen, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the James F. Dicke Family, 2013.72.3, © 2005, Eric Fischl
Copied Eric Fischl, The Clemente Family, 2005, oil on linen, 69 x 86 in. (175.3 x 218.4 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the James F. Dicke Family, 2013.72.3, © 2005, Eric Fischl

Artwork Details

Title
The Clemente Family
Artist
Date
2005
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
69 x 86 in. (175.3 x 218.4 cm)
Copyright
© 2005, Eric Fischl
Credit Line
Gift of the James F. Dicke Family
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on linen
Classifications
Subjects
  • Figure group — family
Object Number
2013.72.3
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/2013.72.3

Artwork Description

The Clemente Family is a study of the complex dynamics among parents and siblings. The painting is a composite portrait based on multiple photographs Eric Fischl took of the family over the course of two hours. Fischl depicted his friend, the painter Francesco Clemente, veiled in shadow to cast him as someone who, Fischl explained, "stands outside his own reality looking in." His wife, who is partially bathed in bright light, occupies her role as a powerful matriarch.

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