Untitled [female nude, side view] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this untitled ink drawing of a female nude. Diebenkorn’s work often reflects the cultural milieu of postwar America. Here, the female figure is presented in a stark, unadorned manner, characteristic of a broader movement toward abstraction and a departure from traditional, idealized representations of the female form. The gestural lines and use of shadow create a sense of intimacy. The woman's averted gaze and posture invite questions about the dynamic between artist and model, and more broadly, the power relations inherent in the act of representation. The use of ink lends the drawing an immediacy and rawness that disrupts conventional artistic practices. Diebenkorn captures the complex interplay of vulnerability and self-possession inherent in the act of posing, making us consider the emotional and psychological dimensions of both the artist and the sitter.