Untitled [model posing with left hand on frame] [recto] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn created this Untitled drawing with ink on paper. The composition immediately strikes you with its bold, spare lines. The figure, a model, is defined not by meticulous detail but by the essence of form. Diebenkorn's choice to render the subject in such a minimalist style serves a dual purpose. It encourages the viewer to engage with the underlying structure of the human form, reducing it to a series of interconnected shapes and lines. At the same time, it challenges traditional notions of representation. The starkness of the lines against the white paper heightens the focus on form and spatial relationships. Consider how the geometric rigidity of the frame contrasts with the organic, flowing lines that delineate the model's body. This interplay destabilizes the conventional portrait, shifting our perception of both the subject and the medium. The drawing becomes a study of line, space, and the very act of seeing.