Untitled [female nude raising her right arm and turning away] 1955 - 1967

This is an undated drawing in graphite on paper by Richard Diebenkorn, known for his abstract expressionist beginnings and later turn to figurative art. Diebenkorn made this drawing of a female nude during a period when the dominant trends of the art world favored abstraction. His return to figuration can be seen as a bold move, resisting the pressure to conform. The intimate scale and the immediacy of the graphite on paper allows us to see the artist's hand, his process of observing and translating the human form. The figure turns away, and our view is denied. The work prompts us to consider the male gaze within art history and how Diebenkorn’s drawing challenges or perpetuates traditional representations. We might also think about how Diebenkorn navigates the space between abstraction and figuration, challenging our expectations of what a body, a drawing, and a work of art can be.