Untitled [back view of seated female nude] 1955 - 1967

Editor: Here we have an untitled pencil drawing by Richard Diebenkorn, created sometime between 1955 and 1967. It’s a simple back view of a seated female nude, quickly rendered. What do you make of this seemingly casual sketch? Curator: Well, "casual" might be deceiving. Diebenkorn worked during a period where Abstract Expressionism dominated the art scene, but figuration still held a certain political weight. This sketch, a nude, directly engages with that historical context. Consider how nudes have historically been presented—often idealized and objectified. Editor: Right, they're usually very posed and idealized. Curator: Exactly. How does Diebenkorn's rendering depart from those traditions, and what might that say about his own position within that socio-political and artistic landscape? Notice the tentative lines. Is it a celebration, an observation, or something else? Also, is the institutional mark on the image a statement? Is it adding to the conversation in any way? Editor: It’s much more immediate, much less about perfect form and more about capturing a moment. It looks like a preparatory sketch for a larger work, maybe? So, perhaps he is playing with classical themes but reinterpreting them in a more modern style. Curator: Precisely! By leaving it in this raw, unfinished state, Diebenkorn disrupts the conventional narrative of the perfected, finalized nude, and also opens up interesting questions about process, display, and how we choose to represent the human body in art. Editor: It definitely provides a more personal lens into the artist’s method. Thanks for the perspective! I wouldn't have thought about it in those historical terms. Curator: My pleasure. These seemingly simple pieces often hold fascinating insights into the power of representation and the evolution of artistic ideas.