1975, Philip Guston, San Clemente -- National Gallery of Art (Washington) (special exhibition)
From the museum label: In this work, his only painting of Richard Nixon, Guston returned to the protagonist of the Poor Richard drawings following the impeachment inquiry and his resignation. A disheveled, weepy ex-president has retreated to San Clemente, his home in Southern California. A swollen left leg and tattered bandages testify not only to his bout with phlebitis (an inflammation of the veins) but also to recent battles in Washington. The hand-sharpened pencils in Nixon's pocket (signifying "artist") suggest that Guston, for all his animosity, might also have felt some empathy for this suffering figure.
Link to other paintings from the exhibition "Philip Guston Now".
1975, Philip Guston, San Clemente -- National Gallery of Art (Washington) (special exhibition)
From the museum label: In this work, his only painting of Richard Nixon, Guston returned to the protagonist of the Poor Richard drawings following the impeachment inquiry and his resignation. A disheveled, weepy ex-president has retreated to San Clemente, his home in Southern California. A swollen left leg and tattered bandages testify not only to his bout with phlebitis (an inflammation of the veins) but also to recent battles in Washington. The hand-sharpened pencils in Nixon's pocket (signifying "artist") suggest that Guston, for all his animosity, might also have felt some empathy for this suffering figure.
Link to other paintings from the exhibition "Philip Guston Now".