Untitled [female nude on lying back on bed with dress open]
1955-1967
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
conté crayon on wove paper
Dimensions
overall: 43.2 x 35.6 cm (17 x 14 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Phyllis Diebenkorn
Accession Number
2000.141.554
Art Historical Context
Richard Diebenkorn's *Untitled [female nude lying back on bed with dress]* (1955–1967) captures an intimate, contemplative moment through the delicate medium of conté crayon wove paper. Measuring 17 x 14 inches, this exemplifies Diebenkorn's mastery of line and shadow during his Bay Area Figurative period, a shift from his earlier Abstract Expressionist works. The conté crayon— a, chalk-like tool invented in the 18th century—allows for tonal contrasts and fluid gestures, lending the nude a sensual, relaxed vulnerability as she reclines with her dress parted. Created amid Diebenkorn's time in ...
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...