Untitled [profile of a seated female nude] 1955 - 1967

Editor: This is an untitled drawing by Richard Diebenkorn, likely created between 1955 and 1967. It's a profile of a seated female nude rendered in pencil. There's a real sense of immediacy in the lines, a sketch-like quality, but also a strange elegance. What captures your eye when you look at this piece? Curator: For me, it’s the beautiful dance between what’s present and what’s suggested. Diebenkorn gives us the figure, sure, but there’s a vulnerability in the unfinished nature of the sketch, an invitation to the viewer to co-create. You almost feel like you're glimpsing a private moment, catching a half-formed thought. Does that make sense? Editor: It does. It's like he's not just drawing what he sees but how he sees it, or how he *feels* it. It's less about perfect representation and more about capturing a mood, right? Curator: Precisely! Think of it like catching a melody—you don’t need every note perfectly transcribed to feel the emotion behind it. There's an inherent intimacy in the work, isn’t there? He is really playing with line, light, and suggestion, isn't he? What about you? Is it only the line, or does color play a part? Editor: You know, thinking about it now, it's the use of negative space too. The figure kind of emerges from this vast expanse of white. It emphasizes the solitary feel. Curator: It does. Makes me think that maybe Diebenkorn was interested in the liminal spaces of existence itself. Like how silence can speak volumes. These are some really thought-provoking takes! Editor: That’s a great way to put it. It's surprising how much a simple pencil drawing can say. Curator: And, I would add, imply. Which often says so much more than what can be said in reams and reams of verbiage. It gets me excited! What an image! Thank you for guiding me toward this amazing exploration.