Seated Woman, Green Interior 1961

Richard Diebenkorn made this painting, "Seated Woman, Green Interior" using oil on canvas. Oil paint’s viscous quality allows for layering and blending, a process we can see clearly at work here. Notice the texture of the brushstrokes, how they build up the image in a tactile way. Diebenkorn engages with a long history of painting traditions, from Impressionism to Abstract Expressionism, yet his focus on figuration sets him apart. The way the brushstrokes create a sense of depth and form is particularly striking. The blue of the floor comes up into the blue of the chair, creating a flat, unified plane. Ultimately, "Seated Woman, Green Interior" invites us to consider the artist's labor. The material qualities of the paint, combined with Diebenkorn's technique, result in a work that transcends traditional boundaries, asking us to appreciate the significance of making, and the artist's hand, in the creation of meaning.