Untitled [nude resting on her side with right hand supporting head] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn drew this nude resting on her side, in what looks like ink on paper. You can almost feel him moving the pen, finding the form, losing it, then searching for it again. I imagine Diebenkorn with his pen hovering over the page, trying to get the line just right, not too precious, but not too sloppy either. Like he's thinking about Matisse or maybe even Picasso, but trying to do his own thing. Look at the scribble of the pubic hair, so different to the clean line of the back. See how the single line defines the form and suggests weight and volume. It's like he's inviting us to complete the picture, asking us to bring our own memories and associations to the table. Painters are always talking to each other, even across time, aren’t they? Each mark a response, an echo, or maybe even a gentle disagreement with what came before. And that’s how painting evolves, through this constant conversation.