20-A Richard Diebenkorn, Cityscape I, 1963

20-A Richard Diebenkorn, Cityscape I, 1963

Look carefully at the foreground, background, and sides of this landscape.

- Identify triangles, trapezoids, and rectangles in this cityscape. They are in the fields, buildings, and shadows.

- Locate trees, windows, and a flight of steps in this scene. Trees are near the top, windows are in a white building on the left, and steps are near the lower left.

- Where might Diebenkorn have been when he saw the cityscape for this painting? He could have been in a tall building, on a high hill, or in a low-flying airplane. (He was impressed with the view from a plane when he was a young man.)

- How do the two sides of the road in Diebenkorn’s painting differ? Which side is man-made and which is undeveloped? The left side is filled with gray and white buildings while the right side is undeveloped fields of green and gold.

- Describe the land in this scene. It’s hilly with green fields and gold earth.

- How did Diebenkorn create a sense of depth in this scene? Distant shadows and buildings are lighter and higher in the composition than those close to us.

- Is this painting is more like life (realistic) or simplified (abstract)? It is more abstract.

- How are the buildings and fields different from what you might actually see? They are basic shapes and have very few details.

- By painting this scene abstractly rather than realistically, what message has Diebenkorn shown in this painting? He focuses our attention on interesting colors, light, and geometric shapes.

- Follow the road back into this scene. How does Diebenkorn slow their eye movement through this landscape? Horizontal shadow and light shapes slow the visual movement.

- What time of day might it be in Diebenkorn’s painting? Why do you think this? The long shadows suggest that it’s early morning or late afternoon.

- What factors affect the color and lightness of an actual landscape? The weather, sunlight, and humidity or pollution in the air all affect how much light shines on a scene.

- Describe the weather and air quality of this scene. It’s clear and dry.

- Why was abstract painting popular in the United States after World War II? Abstract art, with its energy and creativity, complemented the dynamism of the United States as it became a world leader. Also, abstract art demonstrated that in a democracy artists could express themselves freely, unlike artists in totalitarian countries who had to create art supporting government ideologies.