Alex Katz’s Nine Women 1, 2009, features the British painter Cecily Brown, a close friend, colleague and recurring subject in his work. He adorns her in a black dress against a stark yellow backdrop, the conspicuous brushstrokes adding depth to the composition. The first piece in a nine-part series of paintings, each composition highlights a similarly situated figure — all meaningful women in the artist’s life — wearing a different iteration of the ensemble. The artist is known for drawing inspiration from those close to him, representing those such as Brown in an elegant yet effortless, fashionable yet simple manner. He depicts her version of the classic black dress, her individuality radiating through her distinctive silhouette. A persistent motif throughout his career, Katz returns to the black dress time and time again, solidifying them within his signature, iconic subject matter rotation.

“Fashion is ephemeral. Any symbol of that thing that is really new in fashion instantly becomes mortal.”
—Alex Katz Katz’s exploration of the black dress motif has evolved over the years, marking his artistic growth. His earliest work with the theme, Black Dress, 1960, is now a part of the renowned Museum Brandhorst’s collection in Munich. Another acclaimed painting, The Grey Dress, 1982, is still one of his most prominent creations to appear at auction. In 2015, Katz produced a successor to the Nine Women series, also titled Black Dress. This screen-printed series closely resembles the 2009 version–aside from its medium. Once could perhaps consider the Nine Women series a predecessor or study for the 2015 adaptation; the adaptation of the work to an edition serves to further emphasize the seriality of the women he depicts, while making sure to emphasize their individuality as well. Katz's repetition highlights his depth of creative exploration and the enduring influence of the black dress motif.

Alex Katz, The Black Dress, 1960, Museum Brandhorst, Munich. Image: bpk Bildagentur / Museum Brandhorst / Art Resource, NY, Artwork: © 2024 Alex Katz / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

As a portrait of a fellow artist, Nine Women 1 is a testament to Katz’s relationship with painter Cecily Brown: both contemporary artists although 42 years apart in age. While each is known for a drastically different style — Katz for his boldly colored figurative works, and Brown for her Neo-Expressionist abstractions — we can read Katz’s likeness of her as an homage to her craft, and an expression of admiration, portrayed through the humble portrait.
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- 來源
  Gavin Brown's enterprise, New York
  Acquired from the above by the present owner