Untitled [standing female nude resting her arm on a support] 1955 - 1967

Editor: Here we have an untitled drawing, "standing female nude resting her arm on a support" by Richard Diebenkorn, created sometime between 1955 and 1967 using pencil. The starkness of the nude figure makes me feel a little vulnerable, as if the drawing captures a fleeting, intimate moment. What stands out to you? Curator: The power of a sketch like this lies in its rawness. Think about the symbol of the human figure throughout art history— from Venus to the every-day woman. Each depiction carries layers of societal expectations, desires, and anxieties. Diebenkorn gives us something unfixed, almost provisional. It is both academic and raw, a testament to how artists engage with historical symbols while charting new, intensely personal territories. How does the incompleteness play into that feeling of vulnerability? Editor: I think it is because the sketch doesn't offer a fully realized, idealized version of the figure, so it feels less guarded, more exposed in its imperfections. The visible pencil strokes almost feel like hesitations. Curator: Exactly. Those hesitations, the pentimenti as they’re called in painting, are where the artist's thinking becomes visible. They become part of the symbolic language. The lack of firm lines and precise detail becomes more significant than a hyper-realistic depiction. What stories or emotional experiences does the figure evoke for you? Editor: It makes me think about the expectations of women. I appreciate that the imperfections add to its story. I wonder what was going on in Diebenkorn's life when he made this? Curator: Perhaps, it reflects a moment of introspection, where the artist grapples with both tradition and personal vision. Every line is imbued with memory and anticipation, becoming its own unique artifact in the continuous narrative of art history. It's through these lenses that an image truly comes alive. Editor: That’s fascinating. I’ll definitely look at figurative drawings differently from now on.