Untitled [woman seated in an armchair] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this drawing of a woman seated in an armchair with what looks like charcoal. The image feels sparse, like it emerged hesitantly, line by line. I can imagine Diebenkorn circling the figure, trying to find the right pressure, the perfect angle. I see a line that defines an arm, and then another searching for the curve of her neck. It makes me think about a dance between the eye, the hand, and the subject. Each mark seems like a question: is this right? Does this capture her essence? I wonder if the goal was ever truly representation, or if instead, it was about the process itself. Drawing, redrawing, each line a record of his looking. This feels so related to what artists like Giacometti were doing. It reminds me that it's a way of thinking and feeling through form, not just depicting it. This drawing, like many others, exists as a testament to the beauty of searching.