Untitled [reclining nude with a cigarette in her hand] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this ink on paper drawing, Untitled [reclining nude with a cigarette in her hand] and it’s a great example of how a few lines can suggest so much. The energy in this drawing is all about the confidence of the line, it’s a really physical thing. The marks are bold, they don’t feel labored. You can almost imagine Diebenkorn quickly capturing the pose, deciding what to leave in and what to leave out. Look at the way the lines vary in thickness. Some are solid and dark, others are just wisps, ghosts of lines that didn’t quite make the cut. The shading around her groin area, where the lines are more dense, it adds depth and makes you feel the weight of her body. The real genius is in how Diebenkorn suggests the figure with such economy. You think of Matisse’s line drawings, where a single contour defines a whole form, but there is a rawness to Diebenkorn's line. Both artists share an interest in the process of seeing, the way the artist's hand and eye record the world.