Blue Loop
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
color spitbite and softground etching on Rives heavyweight white paper
Dimensions
image: 38.4 x 30.5 cm (15 1/8 x 12 in.) sheet: 66 x 48.3 cm (26 x 19 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
1996.77.42
Art Historical Context
Richard Diebenkorn's *Blue Loop* (1980) is a captivating color print that exemplifies the artist's late-career exploration of abstraction. Born in 1922, Diebenkorn was a pivotal figure in mid-20th-century American art, bridging Abstract Expressionism and Bay Area Figurative painting before returning to luminous, geometric abstractions in his renowned Ocean Park series. This etching captures that mature style with its fluid forms and vibrant hues, inviting viewers into a serene interplay of space and color. Crafted using innovative spitbite and softground etching techniques on Rives heavyweigh...
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...