Untitled [seated female nude with legs crossed] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this ink drawing of a seated nude, we don't know exactly when, but it's a great example of process. The figure is captured with such simple lines. The quality of the ink is so varied. Notice how the ink bleeds around her left foot, but the lines of her face are so sharp and refined. You can imagine Diebenkorn testing the ink, maybe adding water, seeing how it responds to the paper. There's a real sense of play, of exploration, that I really appreciate. That thin, straight line cutting across the top right? It’s like he needed to test the pen and just went for it. It doesn't quite 'read' as anything, but somehow adds to the composition, the drawing feels almost architectural, like a floor plan with a mysterious, elegant figure at its heart. Like Brice Marden, Diebenkorn’s drawings are so much more than studies: they're confident, complete statements in themselves. They invite us to appreciate the beauty of the incomplete and the power of suggestion.