Richard Diebenkorn: The Berkeley Years, 1953–1966

This sumptuous book presents the work of American painter Diebenkorn (1922–1993) in a period of explosive growth. Each editor contributes an essay to provide context, breaking down Diebenkorn’s work into roughly five categories. The grand achievement of the book is the way that the works hang together and evoke a sense of place. In one mode, he paints colorful exteriors of empty houses that summon feelings of loneliness as powerful as similar paintings by Hopper. In another, he renders exquisitely quiet domestic interiors as gorgeous as any by Matisse. In a third, he paints striking maps and landscapes that evoke both serenity and loss. His abstract paintings are just as ambitious, and fit seamlessly with his other work. And finally, his sensual nudes speak of comfort and refuge rather than agitation or lust. Diebenkorn has his own undeniable and recognizable style. His use of color to spellbinding effect—a yellow nude, a yellow porch, and a yellow figure—is reproduced vividly here, and his signature geometric compositions, always with imperfect and bold lines, are sumptuous and calming, whether they represent figures, interiors, or landscapes. Diebenkorn richly deserves his place in the 20th-century art-historical canon. (June)