Philip Pearlstein (American, b.1924) is a prominent member of the Contemporary American school of Realist painting. Born in Pittsburgh, he attended art classes at the Carnegie Institute of Technology, and received a Master’s degree in art history from New York University, while briefly rooming with Andy Warhol (American, 1928–1987). Pearlstein worked as a graphic designer for Life Magazine before becoming an instructor at the Pratt Institute, and then a professor at Brooklyn College; he has also served as a visiting artist at several prestigious institutions throughout the country. In a reaction to Abstract Expressionist works, Pearlstein created naturalistic paintings, drawings, and prints in the 1950s, depicting landscapes, and concentrating on nudes in the 1960s. Pearlstein played a central role in revitalizing representational painting in America, through his carefully studied and often dramatically foreshortened compositions that renew attention to the light, color, and form of his subjects. Pearlstein’s work has been exhibited in several solo exhibitions throughout the United States, and he has also served as a President of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He currently lives and works in New York.