Untitled [rear view of seated woman with her hair pulled back] 1955 - 1967

Editor: So, this is Richard Diebenkorn’s "Untitled [rear view of seated woman with her hair pulled back]," made sometime between 1955 and 1967. It’s a pencil drawing, and I’m struck by how casual it feels, like a glimpse into an ordinary moment. What do you see in this piece, especially considering the time it was made? Curator: I see Diebenkorn engaging with a longer history of depicting women from the back, a tradition often associated with intimacy and objectification. However, the ambiguity here complicates that reading. This was created during a period of significant social change; consider the evolving role of women and the challenges to traditional representations in art. It's a drawing, so immediately more accessible, less burdened by the formal expectations of painting. How might this medium change how we see this person as both subject and object? Editor: That’s interesting. I hadn’t thought about the historical context and its impact on representation. Does the geometric quality of the chair and its stark contrast to the figure speak to this dynamic, too? Curator: Absolutely. Notice how the figure's soft, curved lines interact with the hard, angularity of the chair, which could be symbolic. Does it emphasize confinement, or is it a formal strategy for structuring the composition? The time was marked by both constraint and emerging freedoms for women. Is Diebenkorn subtly reflecting on this societal tension? What do you make of the sketch-like, unfinished quality? Editor: It feels honest, less posed, but could that honesty also be another type of constraint, reflecting an art world not fully ready for radically different portrayals? Curator: Precisely. The ‘unfinished’ quality can be seen as both a stylistic choice and a comment on the prevailing artistic norms and limitations of representation at the time. Food for thought. Editor: This has completely changed my perspective! I now see it as so much more than just a casual drawing. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure! It is in those layers of context and nuance that the real value of art reveals itself.