Untitled [seated nude placing her hand on a side table] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn sketched this untitled nude, using charcoal to capture the weight and form of the figure. The gesture of the hand resting on the table, it speaks volumes. In art history, this gesture—so simple, so human—echoes through centuries. The pensiveness reminds me of ancient depictions of Melancholia, where a similar posture conveys deep thought or sorrow. Consider how the symbol of the hand has appeared across time, from gestures of blessing to silent anguish. Here, in Diebenkorn's sketch, it is transformed and yet familiar. This posture invites us into an intimate, subconscious dialogue with the figure, as if we recognize something of our own interior landscape reflected in her pose.