The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 20, 2025

Phil Spitbite

1995

Chuck Close

(American, 1940–2021)
published by

Pace Editions

America
spitbite and aquatint with softground etching
Sheet: 71.6 x 51.2 cm (28 3/16 x 20 3/16 in.); Platemark: 47 x 37.9 cm (18 1/2 x 14 15/16 in.)
Dr. Gerard and Phyllis Seltzer Fund 1996.15
© Chuck Close, courtesy The Pace Gallery
Location: Not on view

Description

Chuck Close is known for his monumental, photographic faces of people close to him, usually family and friends. The subject of this print is composer Philip Glass, a key figure in contemporary classical music. Close first painted Glass in 1969 and since then has produced over ten different images of him, including this one. All of the Phil images—paintings, drawings, and prints made with a wide range of techniques—are based on the same photograph. Close usually begins with a grid pattern, a traditional transfer method, and then uses a labor intensive process to introduce a range of values into the grid. The resulting images usually read more clearly from a distance. In this example, Close created tone by using spitbite, a technique that allowed him to paint an acid mixture directly on the printing plate. The acid ate depressions into the metal, which were filled with ink. The surface of the plate was then wiped clean and printed. The final effect is similar to an ink wash.
  • Glaubinger, Jane., "Chuck Close", Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland Art: The Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine. Vol. 38 no. 01, January 1998 Mentioned & reproduced: p. 8-9 archive.org
  • Fresh Prints: The Nineties to Now. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (March 22-July 26, 2015).
    The Cleveland Museum of Art (3/22/2015 - 7/26/2015); "Fresh Prints: The Nineties to Now"
    Familiar Faces: Chuck Close in Ohio Collections. Akron Art Museum, Akron, OH (organizer) (September 5, 2009-January 3, 2010).
    Akron Art Museum (9/5/2009 - 1/3/2010): "Familiar Faces: Chuck Close in Ohio Collections"
    Drawn, Exposed and Impressed. MOCA Cleveland, OH (January 20-May 7, 2006).
    MOCA Cleveland (1/20/2006 - 5/7/2006): "Drawn, Exposed, and Impressed: Recent Works on Paper from the Cleveland Museum of Art," no catalogue.
    Contemporary Prints: Recent Acquisitions. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (April 19-July 21, 1997).
    Cleveland, Ohio: The Cleveland Museum of Art; 4/19/97 - 7/21/97. "Contemporary Prints: Recent Acquisitions."
  • {{cite web|title=Phil Spitbite|url=false|author=Chuck Close, Pace Editions|year=1995|access-date=20 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1996.15