Untitled [female nude with left leg pulled into armchair] 1955 - 1967

Curator: Richard Diebenkorn's untitled drawing, made with pencil between 1955 and 1967, features a female nude reclining in an armchair. What's your initial take on this sketch? Editor: My first impression is of vulnerability, yet strength. The rough strokes feel raw, like the artist captured a fleeting, unguarded moment. It’s a portrait of introspection more than anything else. Curator: It's intriguing how Diebenkorn suggests form with such economy. Look at the hand—barely sketched, yet perfectly conveying weight and rest. The negative space around her is almost as important as the lines themselves, isn’t it? Editor: Absolutely. I find myself considering the physicality of it all, the graphite laid down on paper, the residue left behind, the layers. You sense the artist's hand moving, pressing, shaping, almost a dance between intention and the inherent qualities of the materials. It highlights the labor and the artist’s process of thinking through making. Curator: And notice how the textures shift - from the smooth expanse of her thigh to the almost violent hatching of the chair. It feels like Diebenkorn isn't just observing, but wrestling with form. Editor: He's clearly pushing the boundaries of representation with something so minimal. How many layers, how much pressure do you have to use when creating? It's also about challenging traditional notions of skill. Anyone can grab a pencil and sketch something roughly. That's a statement on accessibility too, isn’t it? Curator: I suppose there's a dialogue about the very act of looking happening, isn't it? Editor: Definitely! Well, this Diebenkorn drawing really got me thinking. Thanks for bringing attention to it, and shedding light on the connection between art and life through something as modest as pencil on paper. Curator: Indeed. It makes you wonder about the stories these silent figures hold within them. Thank you, that was enriching.