Untitled [nude resting on floor seen from above and behind] 1955 - 1967

Here we have an untitled charcoal drawing by Richard Diebenkorn, part of a series of nudes he created throughout his career. Diebenkorn, working in a mid-century American art world that was dominated by men, frequently depicted women in intimate, domestic settings. From this somewhat voyeuristic vantage point, he captures the figure's raw physicality. The woman's posture, with her head obscured and back turned, evokes a sense of vulnerability. Diebenkorn once said of his figures: "I’m not interested in the figure per se, but in the possibility of a painting." This statement encapsulates the tension in his work between the objectification of the female form and his artistic exploration of line, form, and space. The nude becomes both a subject of scrutiny and a vehicle for Diebenkorn's formal concerns. Ultimately, the work invites us to reflect on the power dynamics inherent in the act of looking, as well as the complex interplay between representation, identity, and artistic expression.