Dark Looking (2025) Original Pastel Drawing by David Kofton

Dark Looking, 2025
Pastel on paper, 28 × 19¼ inches
Original artwork by David Kofton

In Darling Looking, David Kofton presents a luminous angelic figure emerging from a richly worked field of darkness. The figure's quiet, distant gaze gives the composition a contemplative quality, while immense feathered wings sweep around the body, appearing at once protective, powerful, and ethereal.

Kofton builds the wings through dense, repeated pastel marks, creating an intricate surface filled with movement and texture. Against the predominantly black, gray, and silvery palette, the figure's softly glowing yellow garment becomes the emotional and visual center of the work. Its warmth provides a striking contrast to the surrounding darkness.

The angel is neither entirely serene nor easily defined. Her upward and outward gaze, elongated pose, and enveloping wings lend her a sense of mystery—as though she has been captured in a moment between stillness and departure. The contrast between the carefully modeled face and the more expressive handling of the feathers adds to the dreamlike quality of the image.

Created in 2025, Darling Looking reflects Kofton's continuing exploration of the female figure while moving into the symbolic and spiritual realm. It is a dramatic yet intimate work concerned with presence, beauty, mystery, and transcendence.

Materials used:

pastels

Details:

• Pastel drawing on Canvas
• One of a kind artwork
• Size: 48.26 x 71.12 x 0.32cm (unframed) / 48.26 x 71.12cm (actual image size)
• Signed on the front
• Style: Expressive and gestural
• Subject: People and portraits