Untitled [female nude seated and leaning back on her arms] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this drawing of a nude with ink on paper. I’m struck by the confidence of these lines. Look at how economical they are, describing so much with so little. It reminds me of Matisse, but with a kind of California cool. You can almost feel Diebenkorn circling the model, his hand moving deftly to capture the essence of her pose. I wonder if he struggled at all, or if it just flowed out of him. I love how he suggests depth and volume with just a few strategic strokes, like the shadow under her breast or the curve of her hip. It’s like he’s inviting us to fill in the blanks, to participate in the act of seeing. And that scribble between her legs – a little burst of energy amidst all the calm. It shows you how an artist’s vision can transform something as simple as a line into a whole world of feeling and form.