Untitled [back view of a female nude in stockings] 1955 - 1967

This is a drawing by Richard Diebenkorn, of a female nude, made with what looks like a brush and ink. Diebenkorn’s lines are like a dance. See how they swarm to create volume and shadow. The back and the curve of the stockinged calf, built up with quick, repeated strokes. It’s almost abstract, but then the figure snaps into focus. Look at the lower part of the legs and the feet. See how the ink bleeds out, creating dark pools. It's like the figure is dissolving, or emerging, from the ground. It brings an immediacy to the work, a sense of his process being laid bare. You can see him thinking, feeling, with the ink. It reminds me of Matisse's drawings, that same confidence and fluidity. Both artists capture the essence of a form with incredible economy. It's not about perfection, it's about capturing a feeling. A moment. A way of seeing.