Untitled [seated nude leaning on her left arm] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this "Untitled [seated nude leaning on her left arm]" probably sometime in the middle of the 20th century, with what looks like charcoal on paper. You can see the pressure he exerted in some areas and how the charcoal sort of skips across the surface in others, hinting at the texture of the paper beneath. It's amazing how a few lines can suggest so much. Look at the way he's rendered the face: just a few scribbled marks, yet they convey a sense of shadow and depth. It reminds me of some of Matisse's drawings. It's all about suggestion rather than description. The energy of the hand is so apparent, almost like you can feel Diebenkorn's presence as he worked, searching for the right lines to capture the essence of the figure. Diebenkorn was a master of simplification. Like his contemporary Cy Twombly, he understood that sometimes less is more. This drawing isn't about perfect representation. It's about the act of seeing and recording, a conversation between the artist and the model.