How Matisse’s French Modernism Shaped Diebenkorn’s Californian Abstraction
From Figuration to Abstraction – Diebenkorn’s Quest for Light and Space
Richard Diebenkorn, one of the most celebrated painters of the Bay Area movement, made his mark in the 1950s and ’60s, shifting from figurative work to large-scale abstract compositions. His most iconic body of work, the Ocean Park series, emerged in the late 1960s and continued for two decades. Inspired by the light and structure of Southern California, these paintings blend geometric abstraction with atmospheric color, evoking both cityscapes and open horizons. Diebenkorn’s transition to the Ocean Park series wasn’t just a stylistic shift—it was a deeply personal exploration of space, balance, and the interaction between form and feeling.
From Matisse’s Windows to Diebenkorn’s Horizons
While deeply rooted in the Californian experience, Richard Diebenkorn’s work was profoundly shaped by the influence of Henri Matisse. A chance alignment of events in 1952 set the stage for a pivotal moment in his artistic development.
On July 20, 1952, the Los Angeles Times carried two seemingly unrelated pieces of news: an announcement of a major Henri Matisse exhibition opening on Wilshire Boulevard and a notice that “Mr. and Mrs. R.C. Diebenkorn and children” were visiting family in the San Fernando Valley. For 30-year-old Diebenkorn—an accomplished abstract painter fresh from earning his MFA at the University of New Mexico—this coincidence proved life-changing. Although previously familiar with the work of Henri Matisse, his visit to Los Angeles granted him his first immersive experience in the artist’s work, sparking a profound artistic shift.
Among the paintings that captivated him—The Blue Window, The Red Studio, The Piano Lesson, French Window at Collioure, and View of Notre Dame—it was Matisse’s ability to flatten space while preserving depth that struck a chord. Years later, Diebenkorn recalled: “It [the exhibit] absolutely turned my head around.”
This encounter set him on a path of deep engagement with Matisse’s principles. Diebenkorn embraced Matisse’s ability to balance structure with fluidity, using layered hues and geometric lines to create a sense of infinite openness—a defining hallmark of his mature style.
Matisse and Diebenkorn – A Dialogue Across Time
Fast forward from the summer of 1952 to the spring of 2017, when SFMOMA hosted Matisse/Diebenkorn, a groundbreaking exhibition that delved into the rich artistic dialogue between the two painters. Featuring 100 works—40 by Matisse and 60 by Diebenkorn—the exhibition traced Diebenkorn’s evolving relationship with Matisse’s art, from his early abstract compositions through his Bay Area figurative period and into the luminous Ocean Park series. (See the comparisons above).
I was fortunate to experience this extraordinary showcase while living in the San Francisco Bay Area. Walking through the gallery rooms, surrounded by vibrant colors and striking compositions, felt like stepping into the very conversation that had shaped Diebenkorn’s artistic evolution. It was exhilarating to witness firsthand how Matisse’s influence echoed through Diebenkorn’s work, bridging time, style, and geography in a visual symphony of color and form.
The Ocean Park Series – A Journey into Light and Space
By the time Diebenkorn embarked on his Ocean Park series, these influences had fully merged with his personal artistic voice. The bold, expressive brushstrokes of his earlier abstract works gave way to more refined compositions, where geometric planes, layered hues, and soft yet intentional lines created a sense of vast openness and quiet energy. Like Matisse, Diebenkorn played with the tension between containment and freedom, using structure to create rhythm while allowing color to breathe and move across the canvas.
“For a painter,” Diebenkorn once reflected, “I think there is nothing better than that his works are really looked at—and seen.” And if there was one thing Diebenkorn did, it was look—intently, thoughtfully, and with an eye that truly saw. His work stands as a testament to that vision, proving that the act of seeing is just as much about insight as it is about observation.
Over time, Diebenkorn didn’t merely adopt Matisse’s techniques—he internalized them, reshaped them, and allowed them to evolve into an entirely new artistic language, culminating in the breathtaking Ocean Park series.
