Untitled [standing nude leaning on her elevated left leg] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this untitled sketch of a standing nude leaning on her left leg on paper. It’s a simple drawing, just lines really, but they carry so much weight, don’t they? I love seeing the artist's hand so clearly, each line feels like a decision, a little dance between eye and hand. You can almost feel him figuring it out as he goes, adjusting the curve of a hip, the angle of an arm. There's a vulnerability in that process, a willingness to let the drawing lead. Check out the way he renders the hands, they seem almost unfinished, just a few quick strokes, but they suggest so much. Diebenkorn reminds me of Matisse in this piece, both of them capable of finding incredible expression with such simple means. It’s a great example of how art is always a conversation, artists building on what came before. It's not about perfection, but about the energy and the looking.