Frank Koci (1904–1983)
Untitled (Three Figures), ca. 1960s
Oil on canvas board, 24 x 20 in. in original carved frame)
A powerful and intimate composition, Untitled (Three Figures) depicts three women seen from behind, rendered with sculptural simplicity and raw physical presence. Set against a dark, ambiguous interior, the figures appear both unified and solitary—captured in a moment of quiet stillness.
Koci’s thick, expressive brushwork and muted palette of ochres, greens, and browns heighten the psychological tension of the scene. Rather than idealizing, he portrays the human form with empathy and honesty, reflecting his lifelong interest in the dignity and vulnerability of ordinary lives.
Born in Czechoslovakia in 1904, Koci immigrated to San Francisco in 1923 and became a vital voice in the city’s postwar art scene.