Bella

Bella, a 1980 R.C. Gorman oil pastel, is a tender nude study rendered almost entirely in whisper-soft charcoal gray and warm flesh tones on a luminous white ground. A seated woman turns her profile upward, her dark hair pulled into a low chignon while her body flows into fluid, almost abstracted contour lines. Gorman’s restrained use of pastel highlights only the hands, feet, and the upturned face, creating a quiet dialogue between drawn line and soft modeling that gives the piece its intimate atmosphere. The signed original showcases Gorman’s classical draftsmanship at its most unadorned. A beautifully composed work for collectors of Gorman nudes, minimalist pastel portraits, and Native American figurative fine art.