Untitled [seated female nude leaning on a support] 1955 - 1967

Editor: This is an ink drawing by Richard Diebenkorn, titled *Untitled [seated female nude leaning on a support]*, and it was created sometime between 1955 and 1967. It feels both powerful and vulnerable. The dark, gestural lines really convey the weight of the figure, but also a sense of fleeting emotion. What strikes you about this piece? Curator: It's fascinating how Diebenkorn captures the pose. Consider the historical weight of the nude—traditionally, an objectified form. But here, does this drawing seem to reinforce that tradition, or perhaps challenge it? Editor: I think it's more complex. Her posture is relaxed, almost melancholic, but the heavy lines also give her a sense of presence. Curator: Precisely. The broad strokes could be seen as shielding or protective, lending a sense of internal contemplation, not merely passive display. There’s a raw energy here, almost a primal feel. Think about how Abstract Expressionism, at the time, was grappling with existential questions. Do you think that informs our understanding of the piece? Editor: Definitely. The lack of detail pushes it beyond a simple representation of a body. The abstract elements mirror an internal state. It's less about the figure and more about the feeling it evokes. Curator: It's interesting to consider how artists working in abstraction still drew on figuration as a way of accessing emotions and the psychological depth of lived experience. A visual echo through the ages. Editor: I see that now. I went in thinking "nude" equals objectification, but now it seems more like…revealing a state of being. Curator: Indeed, and perhaps Diebenkorn invites us to rethink those assumptions, and the symbols associated with them.