Untitled [seated female nude with left leg over chair arm] 1955 - 1967

This drawing of a seated nude, by Richard Diebenkorn, is made with graphite pencil on paper. The stark simplicity of these materials really puts the emphasis on line. Think about the marks that Diebenkorn is making here: rapid, searching, almost like he’s feeling around for the form. There's a kind of intimacy to this process, as if the artist is trying to capture the essence of the figure through touch. The texture of the graphite against the paper creates a subtle, almost velvety effect. Although drawing is traditionally seen as a preliminary exercise, the kind of work you do before getting to ‘real’ art, Diebenkorn really elevates it here, claiming value for the immediacy and the unpretentious quality of the medium. It is a great reminder that we can find profound meaning in the simplest of materials.