untitled [female nude lying on right side] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this untitled drawing of a female nude, likely in the mid-20th century, using ink on paper. The drawing presents us with a simplified yet intimate portrayal of the female form. Made in America, in a time when artistic expression was greatly influenced by both the legacy of European modernism and the burgeoning American identity, Diebenkorn's piece exists within a complex cultural landscape. The institutional history of art, with its long tradition of the nude, is both upheld and challenged here. This is because the artist is less interested in idealizing the body, and more invested in capturing a sense of immediacy and the artist's presence, something that was being explored by other American artists at the time. The absence of elaborate detail invites a focus on the line itself, reflecting perhaps, an interest in the fundamental elements of art that were being explored in art schools at the time. Understanding the social conditions that encourage artists to investigate form and line can tell us much about the changing role of art in society. To really dig deep, researching the artist's life, the critical reception of his work, and the wider artistic movements of the time would be useful.