Avigdor Arikha

In 1965, at the height of a successful career as an abstract painter in Paris and New York, Avigdor Arikha (b. 1929) suddenly stopped painting to return to drawing from life. When he returned to painting in 1973 it was to begin on the series of intensely observed portraits, nudes and still likes for which he is now known worldwide. His intimate still likes include such 'local' subjects as a bundle of asparagus, a corner of his Paris studio and the books on his library shelves. His portraits range from informal studies of his close friends the playwright Samuel Beckett and the photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson to striking portrayals of public figures. This book surveys Arikha's entire career, and includes much of his recent work.