Untitled [female nude looking down with right arm behind head] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this untitled drawing of a female nude with graphite on paper. The sketch presents the figure of a woman in a casual pose, her gaze lowered and arm behind her head. It reflects a broader shift in the mid-20th century away from idealized representations of the female form. Made in the United States, at a time when art institutions were becoming increasingly open to abstraction and non-traditional forms, this sketch is a fascinating study in the depiction of the human body. Diebenkorn was associated with the Bay Area Figurative Movement, which sought to reconcile abstract expressionism with representational art. The loose lines and unfinished quality of the drawing invite us to consider the artist's process, and the social conditions in which such a work could be both celebrated and scrutinized. To fully understand this drawing, we might delve into the archives of art schools and galleries, examining the critical debates surrounding figuration and abstraction in postwar American art. By understanding the historical context, we can better appreciate the nuanced ways in which this artwork engages with the visual culture of its time.