Untitled [two female nudes, one kneeling, another reclining] 1955 - 1967

Editor: Here we have Richard Diebenkorn’s "Untitled [two female nudes, one kneeling, another reclining]", created sometime between 1955 and 1967, a pencil drawing on paper. The sketch feels intimate, almost voyeuristic. What symbols do you find present in this work? Curator: It’s interesting you use the word "voyeuristic." Nudity, of course, carries millennia of symbolic weight, often representing vulnerability, honesty, and exposure, yet the positioning of these figures speaks volumes. Diebenkorn invites us to consider the gaze itself. Do we see empowerment, or are these figures objectified? Editor: That’s a complex question. I see a tension between vulnerability and strength, especially in the kneeling figure's pose. It seems confrontational, but also maybe guarded? Curator: Exactly. Consider the cultural memory of the female nude in art history. Traditionally, it was often a passive object of male desire. Diebenkorn, working within the Modernist tradition, may be subverting this trope. Notice the ambiguity of their expressions, or rather, lack thereof. They're rendered almost abstractly, as forms rather than portraits. What does that suggest to you? Editor: It makes me think he's focusing less on individual identities and more on the universal experience of the human body. Curator: Precisely! And in stripping away identifying features, he’s playing with the viewers' own projections. We bring our own biases, our own understanding of power dynamics, to the work. Ultimately, the drawing prompts us to question the very act of seeing. Editor: So the symbolism isn't fixed, but depends on the viewer. That's really fascinating, thank you. Curator: A drawing like this highlights how visual language evolves, taking on new meanings across different eras.