Untitled [seated nude resting her hands on her legs] 1955 - 1967

Curator: Immediately, I notice the subtle quality of line in this drawing. Editor: Indeed. This is an "Untitled" drawing by Richard Diebenkorn. Based on current records, we know he worked on it at some point between 1955 and 1967, using pencil. There is something compelling about how economical the artist's lines appear to be. Curator: Yes, minimal but potent. See how the barest of marks define the contours of the nude figure? And the paper itself contributes to the lightness, as a raw, tactile substance. What object might she be seated on? Editor: I agree—there’s a fragility implied in those delicate lines. This isn't so much about idealizing the nude but recording an individual. There is a vulnerable pose of contemplation that has captured the essence of an introverted human spirit. Curator: And I wonder what considerations were happening between Diebenkorn's art and the materials that would support and represent that, quite literally—what type of paper, quality of pencil...it tells me that process matters a great deal here. Also, how these very sparse depictions may serve to democratize portraiture by stripping it down to something essential and available, shorn of any extraneous context. Editor: Fascinating observation about democratization, because her turning gaze lends itself to universality, inviting any and all viewers. And if this pencil rendering happened during the period you cited, we see this artwork not simply as the outcome of an era, but as one expression which informs, informs on, and gets enmeshed with cultural memory—which continues today. Curator: To me, Diebenkorn's artistic economy in the rendering, paired with your insight about this piece as cultural record—illuminates the significance in all artworks. Everything begins and ends in a conversation. Editor: Very well said, let's carry that conversation to our next work.