Untitled [seated female nude with left foot resting on stand] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this untitled sketch of a seated female nude with charcoal on paper. The figure study was central to the art academy training that many 20th-century artists like Diebenkorn undertook, and the nude was a cornerstone of this practice. But while students learned anatomy and proportion through these exercises, there was also a social aspect at play. The nude was a signifier of ‘high art’ and academic tradition, giving symbolic weight to the artist’s other endeavors. Diebenkorn made this drawing at a time when the status of the nude in art was being challenged. In the Post-War years, some artists and critics questioned the traditional gender dynamics of the nude, and explored the possibilities of abstraction. To fully understand Diebenkorn’s drawing, one might study his biography, consult exhibition reviews, or read theoretical texts on the history of the nude in art. As historians, we can use these tools to understand how art reflects its social and institutional context.