Untitled [seated woman leaning forward and reaching down] [verso] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn created this untitled drawing of a seated woman with charcoal on paper. See how the woman leans forward, her gaze directed downwards, her arms mirroring each other? This posture echoes the classical motif of melancholia, embodying introspection and contemplation. Consider Albrecht Dürer's "Melancholia I," where the winged figure sits amidst discarded tools, lost in thought, as well as Michelangelo's figures that have a similar pose, full of anguish and introspection. Diebenkorn's woman, like these predecessors, taps into a collective memory of human sorrow and existential questioning. This posture is not merely a physical stance, but a vessel carrying centuries of emotional weight, resonating in our subconscious as a timeless expression of the human condition. It is a symbol of the enduring quest for meaning amidst the transient nature of existence.