Untitled [reclining nude raising her left elbow] [recto] 1955 - 1967

Curator: This is an untitled ink drawing of a reclining nude by Richard Diebenkorn, likely created sometime between 1955 and 1967. Editor: It’s striking how the sparseness of the lines still manages to evoke such a palpable sense of weight and volume. Curator: Absolutely. Think of the context: the male gaze prevalent in mid-century art, yet Diebenkorn imbues his subject with an unexpected sense of agency. The slightly confrontational gaze and casual pose suggest a deliberate subversion. Editor: I see what you mean. The angularity of the strokes, the bold, dark patches of ink creating shadows—they certainly defy any kind of romantic idealization we often associate with nudes of that era. It's a forceful, almost analytical, portrayal. Curator: Consider also the cultural expectations placed upon women at that time and Diebenkorn's clear deviation. He depicts the subject realistically, almost intimately, resisting the traditional objectification prevalent in portrayals of women by male artists. Editor: The starkness emphasizes the drawing’s linear quality; see how each contour seems to both define the form and yet also exist independently, creating a certain tension on the surface. There’s almost a Cubist sensibility in the way he fragments and reconstructs the figure. Curator: The choice to render this nude in ink drawing, rather than a more conventional medium like oil, further reinforces this idea of immediacy and authenticity. It highlights a rejection of convention and a focus on the lived experience of the female form. Editor: Looking at the composition as a whole, the negative space is as important as the drawn lines. That vast emptiness around the figure amplifies the intimacy and allows for contemplation and pure form. Curator: It's an incredibly evocative drawing that transcends mere representation to become a powerful statement about identity, sexuality, and artistic expression. Editor: Precisely; I leave this drawing struck by its confident articulation of the interplay between the abstract and the representational—Diebenkorn is unconcerned with realism or conveying surface texture; instead, it’s about essential form.