Untitled [standing nude with arms across her belly] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this untitled nude drawing, probably in the 1960’s, with ink on paper. It's all about the line here, isn't it? How it moves, hesitates, and then boldly defines the figure. You can really see Diebenkorn thinking on the page, trying to capture the essence of the pose with these economical strokes. Look at the way he renders the hands and arms, those little scribbled lines! They're so full of energy and immediacy, and somehow give us a sense of the model's presence. The ink isn’t overworked, it's allowed to be itself – a bit runny, a bit uneven, totally direct. Diebenkorn reminds me of Matisse here, in his pursuit of simplicity and the elegance of form. They both knew that sometimes, the most powerful statement is the one made with the fewest possible marks. It’s like a visual haiku – saying so much with so little.