Untitled [back view of a female nude in contrapposto] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this untitled drawing of a female nude, sometime in the mid-20th century, with what looks like charcoal on paper. The gestural marks are so alive! You can almost feel him circling around the figure, trying to nail down the pose. I bet he was thinking about Matisse when he made this—that kind of relaxed, flowing line. It's like he's feeling his way through the form. Look at how he suggests the curve of her back with just a few strokes. And the way he defines the weight shift with that one long line down her leg. It’s so interesting how he uses line to create volume and depth, even without shading. It's all about suggestion, leaving space for your eye to fill in the blanks. He probably made dozens of these, each one a little different, each one teaching him something new. That’s what drawing is all about—learning to see. It’s such a conversation artists have, across generations, isn't it?