Marc Dennis is an American painter whose carefully detailed oil works reimagine Old Master paintings with contemporary touches. Born in 1974, he trained at Tyler School of Art and at the University of Texas at Austin, and he lived and worked in Rome and Venice while studying classical techniques. He lives in Manhattan and maintains a studio in Montclair, New Jersey. His work has appeared in outlets such as ArtNews and Art in America.
Dennis describes his practice as rooted in hyperrealism: he studies form, tone and technique before taking creative liberties, and he is not simply a photorealist. His paintings often insert animals, flowers and small comic gestures into scenes that recall Caravaggio, Raphael and Titian. He says humor functions both as critique and as charm, and he welcomes varied reactions from viewers.
His series Three Jews Walk Into a Bar places Hasidic figures into Manet’s A Bar at the Folies-Bergère; Dennis connects this project to long research and teaching about the Holocaust and to Jewish humor across generations. Critic Jerry Saltz wrote that the figures “crowd out the picture … as if they were looking not at the past but the future.” Dennis also addresses current concerns such as climate change and comments briefly on AI in art, imagining that Old Masters would embrace new tools. He says he continues to work toward better paintings and believes he has yet to make his best work.
- Art Basel Miami Beach and Untitled, South Beach — December 2025
- Art Singapore — January 2026
- Solo show: Anat Ebgi Gallery, Los Angeles — February 2026
- Solo show: Harper’s Gallery, New York — September 2026
Difficult words
- reimagine — to think of something in a new way
- hyperrealism — art style that looks extremely detailed and real
- photorealist — an artist who paints from photographs realistically
- critique — an opinion that explains weaknesses and problems
- hasidic — relating to a Jewish religious group and culture
- solo show — an exhibition where one artist shows work
- climate change — long-term changes in global temperature and weather
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Discussion questions
- How does combining Old Master styles with contemporary elements change a viewer’s response to a painting? Give reasons and examples from the article.
- What are possible benefits and risks when artists use AI or other new tools with traditional painting techniques?
- Dennis says he welcomes varied reactions from viewers. Why is that variety important for an artist? Give examples from the text or your own experience.
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