Untitled [seated nude crossing her legs and turning right] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn created this ink wash drawing on paper of a seated nude figure sometime during his career. Diebenkorn’s work sits at the intersection of abstraction and figuration, influenced by the Bay Area Figurative Movement. In this vein, the loose brushstrokes and monochromatic palette lend themselves to abstraction, yet the figure is clearly present. What does it mean to depict the female form in such a way? The woman is turned away, her face obscured, which removes the possibility of direct engagement, keeping her at a distance. During the mid-20th century, the male gaze dominated art. Diebenkorn’s treatment of his subject might be seen as a move towards disrupting traditional representations of women. Instead of an idealized, sexualized image, we see a figure in a moment of introspection. The woman’s bowed head and crossed legs suggest vulnerability, but also strength. We are left to consider her emotional state and inner world, rather than simply her physical appearance.