Untitled [female nude seated and leaning on chair arm] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this brush and ink drawing of a female nude, seated and leaning on a chair arm, at an unknown date. It's all about the push and pull of the brush, isn't it? The way the ink bleeds just a little into the paper. You can almost feel him figuring out the weight and shape of the figure, one brushstroke at a time. I love the way Diebenkorn uses the ink, sometimes thick and juicy, sometimes thin and almost watery. The chair, especially, has this great density, built up from layers of dark, wet marks. And then, look at the lines that define the body – so simple, but they manage to capture the curve of her hip, the softness of her breast. It's like he's saying so much with so little. This drawing reminds me of Matisse, especially his line drawings from the 1940s. Both artists have this incredible ability to suggest form and volume with just a few, well-placed strokes. For me this piece is a reminder that art is a conversation, an ongoing exploration of ideas across time.