Portrait of Linda Nochlin and Richard Pommer

 Best known for his large-scale, realist nudes, Philip Pearlstein created this double portrait of feminist curator, critic, and art historian Linda Nochlin and her second husband, Richard Pommer, in honor of the couple’s wedding. Here, Pearlstein challenges the conventional image of marriage by placing Nochlin in the foreground, rather than next to her husband, and depicting the casual inattention of each sitter. Pearlstein’s critique of art historical conventions was appreciated by Nochlin, whose groundbreaking scholarship reshaped the discipline.

Nochlin had a lifelong relationship with the Brooklyn Museum, beginning with childhood visits and later with exhibitions she spearheaded for the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art. Following Nochlin’s death, in 2017, her family gifted this painting to the collection.