




About Chuck Close
Painted nine-foot faces from a grid, was paralysed at forty-eight, strapped a brush to his wrist, and kept painting for thirty more years.

Where to see Chuck Close
Ranked by works you can see in person.
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4 worksNational Gallery of Art
Washington D.C., United States
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6 works
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
San Francisco, United States
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5 worksMuseum of Modern Art
New York City, United States
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3 worksWhitney Museum of American Art
New York City, United States
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1 worksToledo Museum of Art
Toledo, United States
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1 works
Buffalo AKG Art Museum
Buffalo, United States
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1 worksCleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, United States
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1 works
Museum of Fine Arts Boston
Boston, United States
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1 works
Carnegie Museum of Art
Pittsburgh, United States
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1 works
Kunsthaus Zürich
Zurich, Switzerland
View all 22 museums
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1 worksWalker Art Center
Minneapolis, United States
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1 works
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
New York City, United States
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1 works
Art Institute of Chicago
Chicago, United States
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1 works
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Minneapolis, United States
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1 works
Metropolitan Museum of Art
New York City, United States
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1 works
Musée National d'Art Moderne
Paris, France
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0 works
Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, United States
Also here (1)
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1 works
Saint Louis Art Museum
St. Louis, United States
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1 works
National Gallery of Australia
Canberra, Australia
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1 works
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Philadelphia, United States
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0 works
Vanderbilt Museum of Art
Nashville, United States
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0 works
Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst
Ghent, Belgium
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Chuck Close influenced by?
Chuck Close studied at Yale under Josef Albers.How did Chuck Close become paralyzed?
In 1988, Chuck Close suffered a spinal artery collapse that left him almost completely paralysed.Was Chuck Close cancelled?
In his later years, Chuck Close faced allegations of sexual harassment, which he partially acknowledged. Several institutions cancelled exhibitions of his work.Why did Chuck Close use the grid method?
Chuck Close used a grid system that turned a photograph into a mosaic of coloured marks. Painting faces from photographs, grid square by grid square, was partly a way for him to learn faces, as he was face-blind.Was Chuck Close paralyzed?
In 1988, Chuck Close suffered a spinal artery collapse that left him almost completely paralysed. He was told he would never paint again, but resumed painting within months.Did Chuck Close have face blindness?
Chuck Close was face-blind (prosopagnosic), meaning that he could not recognise people by their features. Painting faces from photographs, grid square by grid square, was partly a way for him to learn faces through process.When did Chuck Close start painting?
Chuck Close drew the attention of critics for the first time in 1967 with his large, realistic black and white paintings.Chuck Close art style name?
Chuck Close is known for painting large-scale photorealist portraits.
Sources
Where to See guide aggregates verified holdings of Chuck Close's works across the following collections.
- [1] museum Toledo Museum of Art Used for: museum holdings.
- [2] museum Buffalo AKG Art Museum Used for: museum holdings.
- [3] museum Cleveland Museum of Art Used for: museum holdings.
- [4] museum Museum of Fine Arts Boston Used for: museum holdings.
- [5] museum Carnegie Museum of Art Used for: museum holdings.
- [6] museum Whitney Museum of American Art Used for: museum holdings.
- [7] book Typesetter01, 3638 Used for: biography.
- [8] book Beard, Lee, 1973- author, Butler, Adam, author; Van Cleave, Claire, author; Fortenberry, Diane, author; Stirling, Susan, author, Beard, Lee, 1973- author, Butler, Adam, author; Van Cleave, Claire, author; Fortenberry, Diane, author; Stirling, Susan, author - The Art Book_ New Edition, Mini Format Used for: biography.
Editorial overseen by Solis Prints. Sources verified 2026-07-29. Click a source for details, or hover over [N] in the page above to preview.
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