Duane Hanson

(American, 1925–1996)

Duane Hanson was an American sculptor known for his hyper-realistic depictions of ordinary people. Using polyester resin, Bondo, bronze, or fiberglass, Hanson’s technique involved casting living people and then painstakingly painting the fiberglass figure with all the imperfections and veins of actual skin. “My art is not about fooling people,” the artist explained. “It's the human attitudes I'm after—fatigue, a bit of frustration, rejection. To me, there is a kind of beauty in all this.” Though often associated with the Pop Art movement in his depictions of consumerism, his work can also be linked to humanist 19th-century painters such as Honore Daumier and Jean-François Millet, who empathetically depicted the life or ordinary peasants. His iconic sculpture, Tourists (1970), gently satirizes the cliché of the overdressed American tourist with a mix of humor and compassion. Born on January 17, 1925 in Alexandria, MN, Hanson went on to receive his MFA from the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, MI in 1951. His works can be found in the collections of the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C., the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, and the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh, among others. Hanson died on January 6, 1996 in Boca Raton, FL.

Duane Hanson Artworks

Duane Hanson (75 results)
Traveller, 1985–1987

Duane Hanson

Traveller, 1985–1987

Sale Date: May 15, 2014

Auction Closed

The tourists, 1974

Duane Hanson

The tourists, 1974

Sale Date: December 6, 2013

Auction Closed

Artist with Ladder, 1972

Duane Hanson

Artist with Ladder, 1972

Sale Date: November 15, 2012

Auction Closed

Man on a bench, 1977

Duane Hanson

Man on a bench, 1977

Sale Date: September 18, 2012

Auction Closed

Baton twirler, 1971

Duane Hanson

Baton twirler, 1971

Sale Date: November 10, 2011

Auction Closed

Security guard, 1990

Duane Hanson

Security guard, 1990

Sale Date: May 11, 2011

Auction Closed

Sunbather, 1987–1989

Duane Hanson

Sunbather, 1987–1989

Sale Date: February 17, 2011

Auction Closed

American tourists, 1971

Duane Hanson

American tourists, 1971

Sale Date: June 24, 2010

Auction Closed

Sketch head, 1980

Duane Hanson

Sketch head, 1980

Sale Date: June 8, 2010

Auction Closed

Sunbather, 1987

Duane Hanson

Sunbather, 1987

Sale Date: May 13, 2009

Auction Closed

Tourists

Duane Hanson

Tourists

Sale Date: October 29, 2008

Auction Closed

Housepainter II, 1984

Duane Hanson

Housepainter II, 1984

Sale Date: November 14, 2007

Auction Closed

Policeman, 1993

Duane Hanson

Policeman, 1993

Sale Date: May 17, 2007

Auction Closed

Beagle in a basket, 1990

Duane Hanson

Beagle in a basket, 1990

Sale Date: February 28, 2007

Auction Closed

Tourists, 1970

Duane Hanson

Tourists, 1970

Sale Date: November 8, 2006

Auction Closed

Jogger, 1983–1984

Duane Hanson

Jogger, 1983–1984

Sale Date: May 10, 2006

Auction Closed

The photographer, 1978

Duane Hanson

The photographer, 1978

Sale Date: November 11, 2005

Auction Closed

Beagle in a basket, 1990

Duane Hanson

Beagle in a basket, 1990

Sale Date: June 30, 2005

Auction Closed

Rita the waitress, 1975

Duane Hanson

Rita the waitress, 1975

Sale Date: May 12, 2005

Auction Closed

Man with crutch, 1980

Duane Hanson

Man with crutch, 1980

Sale Date: May 12, 2005

Auction Closed

Flea market lady, 1990–1991

Duane Hanson

Flea market lady, 1990–1991

Sale Date: May 12, 2005

Auction Closed

Woman eating, 1971

Duane Hanson

Woman eating, 1971

Sale Date: May 10, 2005

Auction Closed

Sunbather (study), 1990

Duane Hanson

Sunbather (study), 1990

Sale Date: May 1, 2005

Auction Closed

Delivery man, 1980

Duane Hanson

Delivery man, 1980

Sale Date: November 10, 2004

Auction Closed