Untitled [nude reclining and crossing her legs] 1956

Richard Diebenkorn made this untitled drawing of a nude, reclining figure, on paper with ink. The approach to mark making here is all about process, isn't it? Diebenkorn isn't trying to trick you into thinking this is real, he’s thinking through line. Look at the way he renders her left leg, a thick bush of frantic, scribbled lines. It’s almost as though he’s mapping the shadows and the volume all at once, with a kind of urgent energy. Then he outlines the rest of her body with these decisive, confident strokes. You get a sense of the push and pull, the back and forth, that’s so essential to drawing. This reminds me of Matisse. Both artists share a similar fascination with the expressive potential of line, don't they? But where Matisse is all elegant and flowing, Diebenkorn feels more restless, more searching. And that’s what makes it so alive. It's not about getting it right, it's about the conversation he is having with the paper.