Untitled [side view of a standing female nude turning toward the viewer and looking down] 1955 - 1967

Curator: Here we have Richard Diebenkorn’s “Untitled,” likely created between 1955 and 1967. It’s an ink and pencil drawing. What catches your eye about this one? Editor: Well, there’s a definite melancholy air about her, isn’t there? The tilt of the head, the downward gaze... it's like she carries a weight. A beautiful weight, rendered with such economy of line. Curator: Yes, that feeling of introspection is palpable. Diebenkorn returned to figuration during this period, exploring the nude with incredible sensitivity. There is something revolutionary about portraying women looking inwards, when society asks them only to look outward. It’s so subtly subversive, isn't it? Editor: Absolutely. And notice how the lines, though seemingly simple, trace a powerful silhouette. There’s a tension between vulnerability and strength. How fascinating to view a naked woman looking away from the presumed male gaze! It defies objectification. What are her own thoughts? What does her self-image say to her? Curator: I agree completely! The pose seems relaxed but carries emotional baggage. This wasn't a mere exercise in anatomy. This drawing engages with the very essence of what it means to inhabit a body, especially a female one, under societal pressure. What is also beautiful is the use of erasure and redrawing, traces of corrections made right before the viewer's eyes, hinting at Diebenkorn's process of continuous refinement. Editor: And this makes us as viewers feel like participants, accomplices, almost voyeuristic of this one, sacred instant. Thinking about art in this period, I appreciate that this artwork engages the body beyond dominant artistic representation which typically serve a heterosexual male viewer. Curator: Precisely! It makes us conscious of ourselves. Artistically and even existentially, where does the observer position themself when a body turns away from their attention? It is simply delicious. Editor: It's been thought-provoking to linger with this sketch. It holds complexities I hadn't expected, layers of nuance beneath the surface simplicity. I now look at the drawing with a different view. Curator: Yes, definitely not "just" a nude. It resonates, prompting us to see ourselves and the female form with greater depth and understanding. Thank you!