Untitled [seated female nude holding right leg] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this ink on paper drawing of a seated female nude, the title of which remains unknown. The approach to mark making here is quick, gestural, and intuitive. The colour palette, spare as it is, emphasises form and shadow using varying shades of grey. Diebenkorn's application of ink brings a compelling tension between the representation of the figure and the abstract qualities of the medium. The ink appears almost watery in some areas, pooling to create depth and volume. At other times, the brushstrokes are drier, leaving textured marks that lend the piece a tactile quality. Notice in particular, the area around the base of the figure, where the brushstrokes swirl and blend. The dark mass here gives the figure weight, anchoring her in the space. Diebenkorn’s artistic language reminds me a little of Willem de Kooning, in the way he manages to synthesise the figurative and the abstract. Each artist's work invites us to embrace ambiguity and find beauty in the unresolved.