Rivers's work was never easy to categorize, although critics associated him with the Pop artists. His reinterpretation of classical and historical subjects often caused controversy, something the artist---and collectors---seemed to welcome. That delight in pushing the boundaries of convention carried over into the portraits of family and friends Rivers painted in the mid-1950s, particularly in his choice to show his subjects unclothed. Rivers's distinctive style merged drawing into painting, leaving unfinished passages and remnants of lines drawn in graphite pencil visible on the finished work.

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