Elizabeth Peyton (b. 1965, Danbury, Connecticut) is known for her intimate portraits of historical figures, cultural icons, and people from her immediate circle. Working primarily in painting, drawing, and printmaking, Peyton helped redefine figurative art in the 1990s by reintroducing a personal, emotionally charged approach to portraiture.

Kiss (Tony) (2000) depicts the artist Tony Just, a recurring subject in Peyton’s work. The composition focuses closely on the face, rendered with a soft, delicate touch that emphasizes vulnerability and introspection. As in much of Peyton’s oeuvre, the portrayal resists conventional markers of masculinity, presenting the sitter with an androgynous, almost ethereal presence.

Peyton’s work is often associated with a revival of figurative painting at the end of the 20th century, sometimes linked to tendencies described as “New Realism,” though her practice remains distinct in its focus on intimacy, admiration, and the emotional resonance between artist and subject. In Kiss (Tony), this approach results in a portrait that is less about likeness in a traditional sense, and more about atmosphere, identity, and the act of looking itself.