Robert Bechtle (b. 1932, San Francisco, California; d. 2020, Berkeley, California) received both his B.A. and M.F.A. from California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, California. Considered one of the first true Photorealists, Bechtle produced over 200 paintings in his 40-year career and remains one of the most respected painters of the genre. He referred to his paintings as depictions of “the essence of American experience” and focused on residential neighborhoods in California and automobiles. In 2005, his retrospective exhibition travelled from the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art to the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, DC.