Untitled [seated woman with legs pulled into a chair] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this untitled drawing of a seated woman with pencil on paper. Although undated, it probably comes from his time in California. This simple line drawing speaks volumes about Diebenkorn’s engagement with representation within the abstract expressionist movement. Diebenkorn worked against the current of mid-century American art. He was working at a time when abstraction was seen as the most progressive form of art. Yet he insisted on the importance of the figure, as we see here, in this seated woman. The drawing is not highly detailed but rather suggestive, capturing an impression. It invites us to meditate on the human condition at a time when, in the wake of World War II, the figure had become fraught. To understand Diebenkorn’s practice better we can look at the institutions and artistic movements of his time, using exhibition reviews and artists’ statements, to understand why he swam against the current of artistic thinking.