Victor Man, a painter known for his portraits of people done in dark, greenish tones, has joined David Zwirner, one of the biggest galleries in the world. David Zwirner will bring Man’s work to Art Basel Paris this month, then mount a solo show for him in London in 2025.
Man will continue to be represented by Gladstone Gallery and Galerie Max Hetzler, the former of which staged a solo show for him in New York earlier this year.
Born in Cluj, Romania, the artist makes contemplative paintings in which people are often shown alone. Some contain fantastical elements, with eyes that duplicate and mouths that emit blooming flowers, while others are highly naturalistic.
These paintings have a decidedly old-school look, evoking Picasso’s Blue Period canvases and Renaissance art. “I am interested in painting from the perspective of a kind of continuity in the History of Art,” Man has said.
In a statement, dealer David Zwirner said, “I love Victor Man’s powerful and enigmatic paintings. To me, they are quintessentially European, firmly rooted in the history of Western painting and his deep appreciation for the Renaissance. His paintings remind me of my favorite poetry: fragments coalesce into open-ended narratives, the interiority of his subjects remain mysterious, and through his surprising iconography, he manages to collapse the continuum of time.”
The artist joins the gallery as his market grows significantly. Last year, at Christie’s London, a painting by Man was a hit, selling for $2.2 million and surpassing its high estimate 11 times over.
