Untitled [seated woman leaning forward] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this untitled drawing of a seated woman leaning forward using graphite on paper. The somber tone is set by stark contrasts and dominant dark hues. The composition pivots on the contrast between the densely shaded background and the figure rendered with swift, broken lines. These lines capture the woman’s posture, hunched and introspective, against the dark background which amplifies her isolation. Diebenkorn creates a semiotic play between presence and absence, with the figure's form emerging from the void. The interplay between figure and ground destabilizes traditional notions of portraiture. The harsh marks reject smooth representation in favor of raw expression. This approach embodies a post-structuralist critique of stable meanings. Rather than conveying fixed identity, Diebenkorn captures the fleeting, mutable nature of human experience, inviting viewers to question the boundaries of self and representation.