Untitled [study of woman facing right with her arm on a pillow] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn created this untitled charcoal drawing of a woman, using bold, gestural lines to capture her form and posture. The immediate impression is one of relaxed intimacy, heightened by the soft shading and delicate rendering of the figure against the stark white background. Diebenkorn uses line and shadow to evoke a sense of volume, particularly in the woman's hair and the folds of her clothing. The varying line weights create a dynamic surface, lending the work a sense of immediacy. The composition, while seemingly casual, is structured around a contrast between the detailed areas and the empty space, drawing our eye to the essential elements of the subject. The pillow beneath her arm features abstract patterns, a subtle nod to formalism's interest in pure design. This interplay between representation and abstraction encapsulates Diebenkorn's approach, where the visible world provides a framework for formal exploration. The drawing offers a moment of contemplation, inviting us to consider the relationship between form, feeling, and representation.