Untitled [seated female nude looking left] [recto] 1955 - 1967

This ink on paper drawing of a seated female nude was created by Richard Diebenkorn, an artist who emerged from a generation grappling with the aftershocks of World War II and the rise of Abstract Expressionism. Diebenkorn lived in a time of shifting social norms and expectations around gender roles. This work invites us to consider the artist's gaze, and how the female form has been historically represented. The woman's downward glance evokes a sense of introspection, or perhaps even vulnerability, challenging the more typical objectification of women in art. Though rendered with sparse lines, Diebenkorn captures the weight and presence of the figure. The drawing allows us to reflect on the intimate relationship between artist and model, and the power dynamics inherent in that exchange. In his work, Diebenkorn seeks not to idealize but to capture the raw, unvarnished essence of the human form. He invites us to see the beauty in the everyday and the profound in the simple act of seeing.