Untitled [seated woman crossing her arms and legs] 1955 - 1967

Curator: This striking ink and pencil drawing, an untitled work by Richard Diebenkorn, was created sometime between 1955 and 1967. It presents a seated nude figure with arms and legs crossed. What captures your attention first about this piece? Editor: It's the raw simplicity, the immediate feeling of intimacy despite the sketchy nature of the drawing. There is vulnerability but also a sense of quiet strength in the pose. Curator: Diebenkorn's focus here is clearly on line and form, typical of his explorations of the figure during this period. There's a fascinating interplay between the visible lines and what he chooses to omit, creating a sense of volume and weight. How do you think this piece interacts with discussions of the female gaze in art? Editor: The gaze is definitely complex. We don't see the subject's face clearly, which de-individualizes her and raises questions of power dynamics. On the other hand, the very act of Diebenkorn, presumably male, rendering a woman's body speaks to the deeply ingrained societal role of the artist observing the female form. Is it a portrayal that perpetuates or challenges stereotypes of the female nude within its mid-century context? Curator: Absolutely. The period of its creation, the late 50s and 60s, places this piece within shifting cultural conversations around the female body and representation. This type of art production contributed to institutional dialogues, influenced the market, and shaped public perception. Editor: It's difficult to look at a nude now without considering the art-historical context that often marginalized female artists and objectified women. The pose suggests inwardness but also containment—the crossed limbs create a kind of self-protective barrier. Curator: The minimalist approach certainly adds layers of meaning. This work can also be read as an insight into Diebenkorn's evolving style as he navigated different artistic movements, using figuration to explore abstraction, challenging norms, and making his place in the West Coast art scene. Editor: Yes, seeing it as an abstraction is revealing—reducing a human figure to basic lines forces you to fill in the narrative, bringing the viewers own assumptions. I find myself still wondering about her story, the historical conditions framing the artist and the model—or maybe that is just another way of imposing my lens on this work. Curator: Perhaps that inherent ambiguity is one of the piece's most compelling aspects, it leaves room for multiple interpretations depending on your own background. Editor: An openness, I suppose, to the endless negotiations of art history and contemporary society.