Untitled [reclining nude resting her head on a seated nude] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this untitled ink drawing of two nudes sometime in the mid-20th century. The way he uses thin washes and decisive lines really grabs me; it’s like he's thinking out loud on paper. I find myself drawn to the upper nude’s face, those dark ink pools creating deep shadows around the eyes, suggesting both intimacy and a kind of melancholy. The quick, almost frantic lines around the reclining figure's head contrast with the smooth, deliberate strokes defining her body, which makes me think about how we see and feel differently about various parts of ourselves and others. This piece reminds me a bit of some of those early Matisse drawings, where he's just feeling out the form, not trying to nail it, but trying to get at something more essential. It's like Diebenkorn is inviting us to see the world, and art, as an ongoing conversation, a series of questions rather than definitive statements.