Study for Smoker #26

Tom Wesselmann was an artist born in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. Seeking to distinguish himself from Abstract Expressionism, the dominant art movement in the American art scene of the late 1950s, he gained recognition as a leading Pop artist by participating in group exhibitions focused on Pop Art following his first solo exhibition in 1961.

Smoker Study #26, which uses a lip-shaped canvas, portrays a thin wisp of cigarette smoke, evoking a languid and surreal atmosphere. The still lifes and figures in Wesselmann’s works are rendered with such perfection that they seem almost unreal, creating a beautiful and captivating mood. This aesthetic reflects the glamorous imagery of urban mass media and the materialism embedded within it.