Untitled [woman with cigarette seated in a Windsor chair] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this ink drawing of a woman in a Windsor chair sometime in the 20th century. It’s like a jazz riff in ink, all swinging lines and smoky shadows. I imagine Diebenkorn, cigarette dangling from his lips, leaning in close, letting the ink bleed and pool on the page. You can almost feel the heat of his concentration. The way the woman’s form emerges from the shadows reminds me of those film noir dames, all mystery and allure. That cigarette she's holding – it’s not just a prop, it’s an emotional charge. Diebenkorn was always looking, always drawing, always trying to nail down the feeling of a thing. This drawing feels connected to others such as Matisse, all of whom were locked in this amazing conversation, figuring out how to make a mark that sings. For him and for all artists, there’s an ongoing dialogue through time, with each generation building on the last.