Untitled [seated nude adjusting her black stocking] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this untitled ink on paper drawing of a seated nude, we believe, sometime in the mid-20th century. Diebenkorn, who lived through WWII, and the rise of second-wave feminism, seems to be grappling with traditional representations of the female nude in his work. Instead of presenting an idealized or objectified form, there is a raw, almost vulnerable quality to the figure. The black stocking, a subtle detail, hints at an intimacy and personal narrative, drawing the viewer into a private moment of adjustment. Diebenkorn’s gestural strokes capture the emotional tone: a sense of introspection and momentary pause. How does this image of a woman, caught in a moment of self-adjustment, challenge or reinforce societal expectations of the female form, and its representation? What does it mean for the artist to attempt to capture such a moment?