Richard Estes on Bernardo Bellotto

Bernardo Bellotto, View of Pirna with the Fortress of Sonnenstein, 1755/65, Oil on canvas,19 3/8 x 31 1/4 inches

There is a small painting by Bellotto at the Chicago Art Institute - a view of a street in the small town of Pirna, Germany a short distance from Dresden - that I used to see every day when I was a student there and which always fascinated me. It probably is not the greatest painting in the world but considering its subject and technique I think it had a great influence on me and the direction I chose to take with my work.

Richard Estes, Tower Bridge London, 1989, Oil on canvas, 29 x 66 inches, Property of a California Collector

Richard Estes is an American artist, best known for his photorealist paintings.