Richard Diebenkorn

M. Knoedler & Co., Inc., New York
Mrs. John D. Rockefeller III, New York
Acquired by the present owner from the above

New York, M. Knoedler & Co., Richard Diebenkorn, May 1984, cat. no. 17, p. 9, illustrated in color
New York, Museum of Modern Art; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; Washington, D.C., The Phillips Collection, The Drawings of Richard Diebenkorn, November 1988 - December 1989, no. 178, p. 184, illustrated in color
New York, Artemis Greenberg Van Doren Gallery, Richard Diebenkorn-Works on Paper: Ocean Park, Clubs and Spades, April - May 2004, pl. 34

Gerald Nordland, Richard Diebenkorn, New York, 1987, p. 219, illustrated

This work is in very good condition overall. There are scattered artist’s pinholes around the edges. There is a small ¼ inch vertical abrasion in the lower dark section, near the center. The sheet is hinged verso to the matte intermittently along the edges. Framed under Plexiglas.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

In the early 1980's, Richard Diebenkorn moved on from his large-scale and renowned Ocean Park paintings on canvas to focus on paintings on paper. Using a variety of mediums, the artist reinterpreted the abstract, aerial style and geometric, layered compositions that had defined his oeuvre, and as can be seen here in Untitled #37. 

Against a dark border-like backdrop, connected geometric forms float before our eyes making up a composition not unlike a window. These two spatial planes are further reinforced by their opposing color structure, brought about by Diebenkorn's masterful layering of many hues within each plane. The backdrop of the dark gouache is interspersed with cool blue and green undertones. In the interior shapes, one can distinguish hues of gray, purple, blue, beige, orange and cream. Diebenkorn was known for creating geometric shapes in this manner, leaving the layers evident, the brushstrokes present, so that one would be able to access each layer built within the composition. 

It has been said of Diebenkorn's work that "the surface becomes rich with its own record of experience, permitting ghosts of earlier layers and linear experiments to emerge from its semi-transparent body." (Gerald Nordland, Richard Diebenkorn, The Ocean Park Series: Recent Work, Marlborough Gallery, New York, 1971, p. 11). By working on paper, within a more intimate scale, Diebenkorn was able to examine anew such aesthetics and further solidify his mature visual repertoire.