Untitled [standing nude resting her knee on a chair seat] [recto] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this drawing of a nude, leaning on a chair, with ink on paper. Just imagine the brush loaded with ink, pulled across the surface, how wet it must have been, and the artist, decisive and free with each gesture. Looking at this, I can't help but think about the relationship between abstraction and figuration, something Diebenkorn wrestled with throughout his career. What does it mean to capture the human form with such simple, stark strokes? Is it about the weight of the body, the angle of the pose, or the feeling of a particular moment? The way he’s rendered the chair is fascinating too – it’s almost as present as the figure, with bold, confident lines that create a sense of depth and space. Diebenkorn probably looked at Matisse, who looked at Cezanne. It’s this ongoing conversation that makes painting so alive. There’s no right or wrong way, just a constant exploration of what it means to see and feel.