Untitled [side view of female nude with right hand raised] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this study of a female nude using ink wash on paper. Look at the bold strokes, the sheer confidence of mark-making. I bet he was looking intently, trying to capture the essence of the pose. I can almost see him, brush loaded with ink, quickly moving across the paper, guided by eye and intuition, building up the form with layered washes, a process of adding and subtracting, correcting and refining. It’s like a dance, a conversation between artist and subject. There’s a gorgeous, fluid quality to the lines and how they define the body. The model’s raised hand becomes this beautiful, expressive gesture. Diebenkorn’s drawing reminds me of work by Matisse; they both share a love for the human form and an interest in capturing the energy and vitality of life through simple means. He is a reminder that artists are always in dialogue, riffing off one another, pushing the boundaries of what painting can be.