Cleary, Manon

Manon Cleary (November 14, 1942 – November 26, 2011) was an American artist based in Washington, D.C. Cleary specialized in photo-realistic paintings and drawings. Many of her works were inspired by events in her life and focused on the human form and lights. Cleary received her bachelor's degree from Washington University in her hometown of St. Louis, Missouri. She later received her master's degree from the Tyler School of Art at Temple University in Philadelphia. In 1970, shortly after graduation, Cleary moved to Washington, D.C. where she worked at the University of the District of Columbia as a professor for thirty years. Cleary's style of art is realistic; it is said that she would often win awards for her work in the photography category by mistake. She often worked in a reductive fashion by using graphite powder, tissues, and erasers. This style allowed her to create works that were softer and more personal, but still realistic. Cleary died in 2011 at the age of 69. She suffered for many years from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Her work is held by many museums throughout the United States, including the Art Institute of Chicago, the National Museum of Women in the Arts...