“Pink Cheeks” Robert Gilberg 1950s Ink and Pastel Nude Drawing

Robert Gilberg (1911-1970)
“Pink Cheeks”
c.1950s
Ink and pastel on paper
12″x13.75″ unframed
Unsigned

Good Condition – Wear consistent with age and history. Deep creases on upper left.
Shows well.

In a drawing from the 1950s by California artist Robert Gilberg, we encounter a captivating portrayal of a nude figure. The artist employed brown ink to delicately outline the contours of the figure’s body, adding a sense of graceful definition. Within this gentle framework, areas of shading emerge, subtly infused with hints of pink pastel, lending a soft, almost ethereal quality to the form. A judicious use of red ink strategically highlights certain features, such as the cheeks and other body parts, imbuing them with warmth and sensuality.

Notably, the drawing’s composition cleverly utilizes vast white space, allowing the viewer to focus intently on the subject. Gilberg’s artistic interpretation accentuates the hands and feet, exaggerating their proportions, perhaps to emphasize the expressive capacity of these extremities. The result is a harmonious blend of simplicity and sophistication, offering a unique glimpse into the artist’s vision and mastery of form.

Born in Oakland, CA on April 25, 1911. Gilberg studied at the Oakland Art Center in the 1930s. Following service in the Army during WWII, he settled in Nevada City, CA where he remained until shortly before his death in San Francisco at the Veteran’s Hospital on March 17, 1970. He painted landscapes of the Sierra and abstractions. Member: Nevada City AA. Exh: SF, 1941, 1942 (1st solos); Army Art Exhibit (San Diego), 1945 (1st prize); Calif. WC Society, 1946-53; Calif. State Fair, 1957. In: UC Davis.

Edan Hughes, “Artists in California, 1786-1940”