Untitled [seated figure with bare shoulder] [recto] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this ink drawing of a seated figure with a bare shoulder sometime in the 20th century. I love how immediate it feels, like the ink was barely dry before we got to see it. Diebenkorn's mark-making here is so alive. Look at the thick and thin lines, the way he uses the brush almost like a calligraphy pen. The ink is mostly opaque, but in some areas, it's more transparent, letting the paper breathe through. Notice how the heavy, dark strokes define the figure's form, but also create a sense of depth and shadow. There’s this one confident stroke across the figure’s shoulder, it's so simple, yet it suggests so much about the body’s weight and position. This drawing reminds me of some of Matisse’s quick figure studies, the way he could capture a pose with just a few lines. With this piece, Diebenkorn reminds us that art isn’t about perfection, it’s about the joy of seeing and the act of making.