Untitled [side view of nude with her arms raised in surprise] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this untitled drawing with ink on paper. Diebenkorn was a central figure in the Bay Area Figurative Movement, a time when artists turned away from abstract expressionism and returned to portraying the human figure. This drawing presents a nude woman, seen from the side, with her arms raised in a gesture that suggests surprise or startlement. During the mid-20th century, when Diebenkorn was working, the female nude was a conventional subject in art, often presented as passive objects. Here, the raised arms might hint at vulnerability, but also, perhaps, a moment of unexpected self-assertion. Diebenkorn's gestural, economic line captures the model's form without idealizing it, offering an intimate glimpse into a private moment. The drawing invites us to consider the tension between the artist’s observation and the model’s lived experience.