Untitled [nude female torso] 1955 - 1967

This is an ink drawing of a nude female torso made by Richard Diebenkorn. He's working with a minimal approach here, using just a few lines to suggest the form. The lines themselves are far from tentative; they confidently state the outline of the figure, thick in some places, then thinning out in others. Look at the hand resting on the stomach – it's rendered with quick, almost scribbled strokes. There's a real sense of energy in the way Diebenkorn has laid down these marks, as if he's trying to capture the essence of the figure in a single, spontaneous gesture. This reminds me of Matisse’s line drawings. Both artists share a similar focus on simplification and an interest in capturing the essential form with minimal means. Like Matisse, Diebenkorn shows us that sometimes, less really is more. The beauty lies in the suggestion, in the space between the lines.