Untitled [seated male nude] 1955 - 1967

Curator: Let's take a look at Richard Diebenkorn’s "Untitled [seated male nude]", likely created sometime between 1955 and 1967. It's a pencil drawing, a study in figuration and the nude form. Editor: It's like a whisper, isn’t it? A suggestion of a human form. Very minimal. Kind of vulnerable, like the sitter's been caught mid-thought. Curator: Indeed. Diebenkorn was known for his commitment to drawing from life, something central to academic training. However, there’s also this looseness that moves the artwork beyond the traditional. Editor: Absolutely! I love how raw it feels. The unfinished quality, the simple lines sketching out this form on that rudimentary chair… it invites me to participate, to almost complete the drawing myself. It feels very intimate. Curator: The unfinished quality connects it to artistic movements questioning representation. We also see how this simple sketch reveals tensions inherent in representing the body, like how the artist negotiates between flatness and volume. Editor: And notice how his face is… erased? Gone? Makes you wonder what the absence does. Is it more about the form and less about individuality? Are we all this same basic shape when you take it all away? A blank slate, if you will. Curator: Interesting point. Considering Diebenkorn's background, we can trace these nudes back to life-drawing classes where anonymity often prevails, reducing figures to exercises of light and contour. The period where he was exploring the male form reflects also wider changing social attitudes on gender. Editor: See, I always wonder about the person, though. Like, who was this model? Did Diebenkorn know him? It might change how the art looks and feels… Curator: Fair enough. This drawing also demonstrates Diebenkorn’s own explorations within the male nude genre. The legacy here builds upon historical art practices and brings forward new representations. Thank you for considering this unique piece with me today. Editor: Thanks for bringing your keen eye, as always! It made me really ponder something special here.