Female Nude I

Female Nude I (1972) is an early R.C. Gorman stone lithograph depicting a seated nude woman in a relaxed, introspective pose. Her dark hair frames a downward-turned face, while the body is defined through economical contour lines, subtle tonal modeling, and loosely worked graphite-like shading. Gorman emphasizes the natural rhythm of the figure, from the extended leg and delicately drawn foot to the hands resting near the lower edge of the composition. The restrained black-and-white palette gives the work the immediacy of a studio drawing while preserving the refinement of a finished lithograph. Produced in a small edition of only 30, Female Nude I is a scarce early example of Gorman’s figurative practice and an important collector piece for admirers of his nude studies, works on paper, and early stone lithographs.