Untitled [reclining nude shading her face with her hand] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn’s drawing of a reclining nude, made with charcoal on paper, presents a study in contrasts. The relaxed pose of the figure is rendered with dynamic lines and shading, creating a captivating interplay of light and shadow. The artist employs a formal economy, suggesting volume and depth through nuanced tonal variations. Each stroke of charcoal contributes to an overall effect of immediacy. The composition invites a structuralist reading. The reclining figure, a traditional subject in art history, is here deconstructed through Diebenkorn's expressive lines. The negative space around the figure is as important as the figure itself, challenging conventional notions of form and content. This disruption prompts a reconsideration of how we perceive the human form within an artistic framework, emphasizing the constructed nature of representation. Diebenkorn does not merely depict; he interrogates the very act of seeing.