ROMULUS x THE ARMORY SHOW, SEPTEMBER 24–27, 2026ROMULUS x THE ARMORY SHOW, SEPTEMBER 24–27, 2026
Sign inSign up
ROMULUS x THE ARMORY SHOW, SEPTEMBER 24–27, 2026ROMULUS x THE ARMORY SHOW, SEPTEMBER 24–27, 2026
DiscoverGuidesWorkspace
Ellen Altfest, Sugigoke

Ellen AltfestSugigoke, 2022

About the artist

Ellen Altfest Ellen Altfest paints parts of the male form, nude or partially covered and close-ups of objects in and from nature. These works are made during direct observation from life and require months or even years to complete. Rendered with an intensity and intimacy, Altfest's subjects are one to one in scale and painted with an accumulation of detail that is beyond what the human eye can absorb in a single glance. Both embracing and departing from the norms of figurative painting, Altfest has said that she wants ‘...to upend the traditional hierarchy of painting by making the subject secondary to the composition that would support it’.

You may also like

Loading related artworks

You may also like

Ellen Altfest

Green Gourd, 2007

My collectionSave

Ellen Altfest

The Hand, 2011

My collectionSave

Ellen Altfest

Moustache, 2011

My collectionSave

Ellen Altfest

Composition, 2014-2015

My collectionSave

Ellen Altfest

Three Folds, 2018

My collectionSave

Ellen Altfest

Three Dots with Twine, 2018

My collectionSave

Ellen Altfest

Red Leaf, 2020-21

My collectionSave

Ellen Altfest

Turkey’s Tail, 2020

My collectionSave

Ellen Altfest

Marks, 2021

My collectionSave

Ellen Altfest

Acorn, 2021

My collectionSave