Untitled [seated female nude leaning against chair] 1955 - 1967

Editor: Richard Diebenkorn’s "Untitled [seated female nude leaning against chair]" executed in ink sometime between 1955 and 1967, feels remarkably modern. There's a rawness, almost vulnerability, in the stark contrasts of ink against the blank page. What speaks to you in this piece? Curator: That's a wonderful way to put it—"raw vulnerability." The piece resonates with me as a study in both form and feeling. Diebenkorn isn't just capturing the likeness of a figure; he’s channeling a mood. Notice how the loose, flowing lines create a sense of weight, a kind of weary elegance. What do you think he's trying to tell us about the sitter's state of mind? Editor: Perhaps a sense of introspection or even resignation? The way she’s slumped, hidden almost, against the chair… it doesn't scream classical beauty, but something far more complex. Curator: Exactly. It sidesteps idealization. There's a push and pull between representation and abstraction, a tension that gives the piece its power. I love how he suggests the chair's form with these economical hatching strokes while some of the model’s body disappears within darker inking. Does that choice resonate for you? Editor: Absolutely. It creates a sense of mystery, almost like the figure is emerging from or dissolving into the shadows. It makes you look harder. Curator: Precisely. It invites us into her private space. Art isn't just about depicting what we see; it’s about conveying what we feel and leaving space for the viewer's interpretation, wouldn't you agree? Editor: Yes, definitely. I came in thinking "nude drawing," but now I see a portrait of someone in a moment of quiet contemplation, rendered with stunning economy. Curator: And that's the joy of art, isn’t it? It teaches us to see beyond the surface.