When the Sketch Takes the Lead: Alex Katz's Studies

By Sooyoung Choi

Studies, a solo exhibition of Alex Katz presented by Thaddaeus Ropac Seoul until August 1, showcases the intermediate stages of the artist’s creative journey before reaching his final compositions. These small-scale studies painted by Katz from the 1990s to the present—works that typically remain tucked away in the studio—take the lead as the main protagonists of this exhibition. This marks the gallery’s second solo presentation of Katz’s work, following the 2022 exhibition Flowers.

The core of the exhibition lies in showcasing side-by-side how these small paintings expand into larger scales. Katz’s process is surprisingly classical. He captures the light in his studies, refines it through drawing, and then enlarges the composition onto the large canvas using "pouncing"—a Renaissance technique where powder pigment is dusted through perforated outlines of a sketch. The petals that gently fluttered in Study for Lilies (2025) transform into a majestic, luminous presence in the large-scale painting Lilies 6. What is remarkable is that the essence remains entirely intact; the vibrant first impression loses none of its sharp clarity, even on a canvas expanded nearly tenfold.

His portrait studies offer a different sensory experience. In Niki (2006), Katz captures the subject's gaze through a tight, dramatic close-up, where the beautifully softened brushstrokes of the prominent teeth evoke Velázquez’s Democritus. In Study for Emma (2015), the warm yellow tones gently tracing the subject’s silhouette appear like a radiant halo. These small canvases remain as a testament to his artistry, showing that while he embraced swiftness, he never compromised on precision.