Julian Schnabel and the work series that reshaped painting
Published on 06/27/2026 at 22:59 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Julian Schnabel became a defining figure of late 20th century painting when his plate paintings turned the canvas into a sculptural field of shards and color. His dense material surfaces and cinematic references have since anchored him in major museum collections and art-historical debates.
The rise of the plate paintings
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Julian Schnabel’s large-scale plate paintings, built from smashed ceramic crockery embedded in thick resin and paint, quickly drew attention in New York for their dramatic, relief-like surfaces.
Works such as Maria Callas and related canvases merge portraiture with aggressive materiality, pushing painting toward a hybrid of sculpture and image that critics linked to Neo-Expressionism and postmodern appropriation.
From heroic scale to cinematic imagery
As his practice evolved, Schnabel shifted from purely abstract and icon-laden plate paintings to image-based works that incorporate photographs, found fabrics and film stills, extending his language of large scale and physical layering.
Series based on archival imagery and Polaroids, including paintings derived from film stills and historical photographs, maintain his characteristic monumental format while bringing narrative and memory more explicitly into the frame.
Exhibitions, auctions and background on Julian Schnabel
Readers can follow previous coverage of Julian Schnabel’s exhibitions, auction results and institutional projects in the AD HOC NEWS archive.
The work core across media
Schnabel works primarily in painting but also in sculpture, printmaking and film, maintaining a studio-based practice that often revolves around very large canvases built from unconventional supports such as tarpaulin, velvet and broken plates.
Key work groups include the early plate paintings, the velvet paintings, the paintings on found textiles, and later series that draw on photographic sources, which together trace a consistent interest in how surface, image and memory collide.
Current state of the practice
Julian Schnabel continues to work between New York and other studios, with no officially announced institutional exhibition date in the immediate 30-day window.
Key facts on Julian Schnabel
- Artist: Julian Schnabel
- Medium / Genre: Painting (large-scale, material-intensive), film direction
- Born: 1951, New York City, United States
- Place(s) of practice: Studio in New York City, with work produced in multiple locations over time
- Active since: mid-1970s, with breakthrough exhibitions around 1979-1981
- Key work groups: plate paintings, velvet paintings, paintings on found textiles, photo-based and film-still paintings
- Current/last exhibition: Various retrospective and group exhibitions over the past decade in major museums; exact current institutional show within the last 30 days not publicly specified
- Major collections: Works by Schnabel are held in leading collections including MoMA (New York), Tate (London) and other major museums.
- Awards: Recognized with significant critical attention and film awards for directing The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, among other honors.
- Next date: currently no announced date in the 30-day window
Frequently asked questions about Julian Schnabel
Which work series made Julian Schnabel widely known?
Julian Schnabel’s early plate paintings, created from shattered ceramic plates embedded in resin and paint on large canvases, brought him international attention in New York around 1979-1981 and became emblematic of his practice.
How did Schnabel’s painting develop after the plate paintings?
After the plate paintings, Schnabel expanded into velvet paintings, works on found textiles and large canvases based on photographic sources and film stills, maintaining his focus on scale and layered surfaces while introducing more explicit imagery.
Where can Julian Schnabel’s works be seen in public collections?
Major museums such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York and Tate in London include works by Schnabel in their collections, reflecting his established position in late 20th century and contemporary painting.
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