Untitled [reclining nude leaning on her left elbow] 1955 - 1967

This reclining nude was made by Richard Diebenkorn in ink wash on paper. It's all about the push and pull of dark and light, a dance of tonal washes that suggest a figure emerging from the shadows. You can see the fluidity of the ink, how it pools and spreads, creating these beautiful, unpredictable edges. The arm that grounds the figure is a flurry of strokes, almost frantic, yet they manage to convey the weight and angle of the pose. Look at the way Diebenkorn uses the negative space around the figure, it's just as important as the figure itself. The blank paper breathes, allowing the ink to resonate. This piece reminds me of early de Kooning, that same sense of searching and finding form through the act of drawing. It's like Diebenkorn is thinking out loud with his brush, revealing the process of seeing, not just the thing seen.