TOM WESSELMANN (1931-2004)










Provenance
Private Collection, TexasExhibition
"Tom Wesselman," Museo d'Arte Contemporanea Roma, June 8 - Semptember 18, 2005Literature
"Tom Wesselman," Museo d'Arte Contemporanea Roma, June 8 - Semptember 18, 2005 (Exhibition Catalogue)History
Tom Wesselmann was a leader of the Pop Art movement. He is best remembered for large-scale works, including his Great American Nude series, in which Wesselmann combined sensual imagery with everyday objects depicted in bold and vibrant colors. As he developed in his practice, Wesselmann grew beyond the traditional canvas format and began creating shaped canvases and aluminum cut-outs that often functioned as sculptural drawings. Continuing his interest in playing with scale, Wesselmann began focusing more closely on the body parts that make up his nudes. He created his Mouth series and his Bedroom series in which particular elements, rather than the entire sitter, become the focus.
Bedroom Breast (2004) combines these techniques, using vivid hues painted on cut-out aluminum. The work was a special commission for a private collector’s residence, and the idea of a bedroom breast piece in oil on 3-D cut-out aluminum was one Wesselmann had been working with for many years prior to this work’s creation. The current owner of the piece believed in Wesselmann’s vision and loved the idea of bringing the subject to his home.
It’s one of, if not the last, piece Wesselmann completed before he passed away. The present work is the only piece of its kind – there has never been an oil on aluminum in 3D at this scale or of this iconography.
Top Results at Auction

“Great American Nude no. 48” (1963) sold for $10,681,000.

“Smoker #9” (1973) sold for $6,761,000.

“Smoker #17” (1973) sold for $5,864,000.
Comparable Works Sold at Auction
- The record price paid at auction is also a nude
- An interior type scene, large scale like Bedroom Breast
Similar Works in Museum Collections
The Museum of Modern Art, New York
The Whitney Museum of American Art, New York
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Arkansas
Cranbrook Art Museum, Michigan
Image Gallery
Inquire
You May Also Like