Chuck Close (1940–2021) was an influential American artist renowned for his monumental photorealist portraits that redefined the boundaries between painting and photography. Born in Monroe, Washington, Close overcame severe dyslexia and neuromuscular challenges to become a leading figure in contemporary art. He gained prominence in the late 1960s with his large-scale, meticulously detailed portraits, constructed using a grid system to translate photographic images onto canvas, often highlighting both the imperfections of the human face and the mechanical qualities of photography. Despite being diagnosed with prosopagnosia (face blindness) and suffering a spinal artery collapse in 1988 that left him paralyzed, Close continued to create art by adapting his technique, painting with a brush strapped to his wrist. His work, which includes portraits of fellow artists, friends, and himself, is held in major museum collections worldwide and has had a lasting impact on the evolution of portraiture and conceptual art.