Untitled [seated female nude with resting on left arm] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this untitled drawing of a seated nude, with charcoal on paper. The charcoal is laid down in loose, searching marks. It’s like Diebenkorn is thinking through the figure, not just trying to copy what he sees but really trying to understand her. The surface is raw, immediate. You can feel the charcoal scratching against the paper. Look at the way he builds up the shadows on the figure's head and torso, layering line upon line. There’s an energy in the mark-making, especially around the figure's left arm. It’s a flurry of strokes, almost abstract, but it all comes together to define the form. This drawing reminds me of Willem de Kooning's figure drawings - that same restless energy, that willingness to let the process be visible. Art is a conversation, after all, and Diebenkorn is adding his own voice to the mix, exploring the figure with honesty and a kind of joyful abandon.