Untitled [head of a man: front view]
1955-1967
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
conté crayon on wove paper
Dimensions
overall: 27.9 x 21.6 cm (11 x 8 1/2 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Phyllis Diebenkorn
Accession Number
2000.141.521
Art Historical Context
Richard Diebenkorn's *Untitled [head of a man: front view]*, between 1955 and 1967, captures the artist's shift toward figurative representation during his Bay Area Figurative period. After early experiments in Abstract Expressionism, Diebenkorn returned to human form in the mid-1950s, influenced by move to Berkeley, California. This intimate drawing, executed in conté crayon on wove paper, measures just 27.9 x 21.6 cm, inviting close contemplation of the subject's direct gaze and expressive features. The conté crayon's rich, velvety texture allows Diebenkorn to build form through bold hatchi...
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...