Opening tomorrow in Athens, Gagosian will present “Tom Wesselmann: Seascapes, Still Lifes, and Nudes”, Wesselmann’s first solo exhibition in Greece. March 17—May 30, 2026. (Tom Wesselmann, Little Seascape #3, 1965/68)
Athens: On view at the Basil and Elise Goulandris Fondation in “From Monet to Warhol”, Tom Wesselmann “Mouth Study for Minneapolis Catalog Cover”, 1968. This image first appeared on the cover of the catalog for Wesselmann’s exhibition at Daytons Gallery 12 in Minneapolis, 1968.
Gagosian will present “Tom Wesselmann: Seascapes, Still Lifes, and Nudes”, opening on March 17, 2026. Featuring key paintings and drawings from throughout Wesselmann’s career, this is the first solo exhibition of his work in Greece.
Tom Wesselmann was born on this day, February 23, in 1931 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Today would have been his ninety-fifth birthday. (Tom Wesselmann, “Birthday Bouquet”, 1988/90)
Next week join virtually or in person, ‘I Only Want to Paint: Screening and Conversation on #TomWesselmann.'
The event begins with a screening of Klaus Benden’s documentary 'I Only Want to Paint', which captures life in Wesselmann's studio in 1998, and is followed by a panel discussion which considers examples from the more extensive cache of audio footage recorded during the filming to discuss Wesselmann’s processes, his artistic influences, and legacy.
The speakers are Susan Davidson, author of ‘Tom Wesselmann: The Great American Nude’; Jeffrey Sturges, Director of Exhibitions, The Estate of @tom_wesselmann ; and Huffa Frobes-Cross, Tom Wesselmann Catalogue Raisonné Project Manager @wpi_art .
🔹 In person: Einstein Auditorium, NYU Steinhardt, New York, 4-6pm, Friday 27 Feb
🔹 Online: 9.45pm GMT, Friday 27 Feb
Click the link in our bio to register
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Tom Wesselmann in the studio at 157 Bleecker Street, 1964. Photograph by Ken Heyman. Courtesy of the photographer. All rights reserved.
We return with a new podcast episode featuring art historian and curator Susan Davidson on “Tom Wesselmann: The Great American Nude”
This landmark monograph—co-edited by Davidson alongside Rachel Middleman and Lauren Mahony—is the first comprehensive publication dedicated to Wesselmann’s iconic “Great American Nudes” (1961–73), the series that helped define American Pop Art.
Davidson, who has curated exhibitions from Rauschenberg to Wesselmann, shares her scholarship and perspective to reveal the stories behind the art and the cultural impact of the “Great American Nudes.”
Listen tomorrow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
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@gagosian@alminerech@rizzolibooks@susandavidsoncurator@tom_wesselmann@wpi_art@alminerecheditions@shopgagosian
#artpodcast #bookpodcast #susandavidson #tomwesselmann #nudepainting #americanart #popart #rachelmiddleman #laurenmahony #meganfoxkelly #artadvisor #artadvisory #arttalk
A quiet trend has emerged in New York: artists’ studios preserved long after the artist is gone, defying the city’s usual pace of change. Tom Wesselmann’s Cooper Square studio—maintained since his death in 2004—is among them. A recent New York Times piece describes the space in vivid detail: his painting gloves still sit by the easel, labeled “TW right” and “TW left.” His brushes still smell of turpentine. The space feels, as one former assistant put it, “very alive.”
This week on Reading the Art World, I speak with curator and art historian Susan Davidson about her landmark monograph on Wesselmann’s “Great American Nudes” series. Susan had access to that preserved studio during her research, and as she told me: “Regularly visiting Tom’s studio during my research was inspiring. Being among his paintings, sketches, source material, etc. instilled in me his joy for making art.”
The conversation reveals how preserving an artist’s workspace isn’t just about nostalgia—it’s about keeping the work vital, grounded, and deeply understood.
Sign up for the Reading the Art World newsletter via the link in bio to hear the episode first.
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Tom Wesselmann in his studio at 175 Bleecker Street, New York, with Great American Nude #21 (1961, in progress). Photography by John Goodman, 1961.
@tom_wesselmann@susandavidsoncurator@nytimes
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Coming next week on Reading the Art World 🎧
An in-depth conversation with curator and art historian Susan Davidson on the new monograph “Tom Wesselmann: The Great American Nude”—the first comprehensive publication dedicated to Wesselmann’s iconic series (1961–73).
Davidson, a leading authority on Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, and Pop art, brings essential curatorial insight to Wesselmann’s legacy. With contributions by Rachel Middleman and Lauren Mahony, the book features full-color reproductions of all 100 works, along with related drawings and studies.
Sign up for our “Reading the Art World” newsletter at the link in bio to hear the episode first.
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@gagosian@alminerech@rizzolibooks@susandavidsoncurator@tom_wesselmann@wpi_art
Tom Wesselmann: The Great American Nude. Text by Susan Davidson and Rachel Middleman and Lauren Mahony
#americanart #popart #meganfoxkelly #tomwesselmann #contemporaryart #susandavidson #gagosian #rizzolibooks #artread #artbook #artpodcast #arttalk
