Blue Club
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
color aquatint with spitbite and softground etching on Arches Satine paper
Dimensions
image: 48.3 x 45.7 cm (19 x 18 in.) sheet: 95.3 x 78.1 cm (37 1/2 x 30 3/4 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Eugene L. and Marie-Louise Garbáty Fund and Patrons' Permanent Fund
Accession Number
1996.77.52
Art Historical Context
Richard Diebenkorn's *Blue Club* (1981) is a captivating color aquatint print with spitbite and softground on Arches Satine paper showcasing the artist's mastery of intaglio techniques late in his career. Measuring 19 x 18 inches its image area on a larger 37½ x 30¾-inch sheet, this work exemplifies Diebenkorn's shift toward abstracted, luminous geometries inspired by his iconic Ocean Park series of paintings. The medium's layered processes—aquatint for rich tonal gradients, spitbite (using saliva to selectively etch the plate for organic edges), and softground for textured impressions—create ...
About the Artist
Richard Diebenkorn
Richard Clifford Diebenkorn Jr. (1922-1993) was one of the premier American painters of the postwar era, whose deeply lyrical abstractions and figurative works evoked the shimmering light and wide-open spaces of California. Born in Portland, Oregon, and raised in San Francisco, Diebenkorn became a pivotal figure in elevating the status of California art on the international stage. His career encom...