Untitled [standing female nude pulling back her hair] 1955 - 1967

Editor: This is an untitled drawing by Richard Diebenkorn, likely created between 1955 and 1967. It depicts a standing female nude, rendered with quick, almost scribbled lines. It feels very immediate, like a captured moment. What do you see in this piece, especially regarding how the figure is represented? Curator: The immediacy you mentioned is key. These rapid lines, seemingly spontaneous, resonate with a deeper, archetypal memory of the female form throughout art history. Consider how the act of a woman arranging her hair appears across millennia of visual culture – from ancient goddesses to more recent odalisques. Diebenkorn seems to tap into this collective understanding. Editor: So, the drawing connects to a longer tradition? I wouldn’t have immediately thought of it that way, given its casual style. Curator: Indeed. Even in its informality, we find echoes of poses and gestures loaded with symbolic meaning. Think about what pulling back her hair might represent – revelation, a momentary unveiling, perhaps even a reclaiming of self. Do you sense any emotional quality arising from this gesture, however fleetingly captured? Editor: I guess it does seem like a moment of self-possession. I was focusing so much on the linework I almost missed that. Curator: The linework itself becomes a symbol, a visual shorthand for a complex narrative. Each stroke, each absence, contributes to an understanding of not just the figure, but the timeless symbolism she embodies. Considering this work through that lens helps it become less about an individual, and more about universal feminine experience and its echoes throughout our cultural memory. Editor: I see what you mean! Now I'm thinking about all those Renaissance paintings where women are doing their hair… This really changed my view of the piece. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure. It’s always rewarding to discover how the past continues to shape our present perceptions.