Untitled [seated female nude with elbow on knee] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this drawing of a seated female nude, we’re not sure exactly when, but it’s rendered with graphite on paper. I love the casualness, that nothing’s too precious here. The lines are sparse and confident, leaving so much to the imagination. There’s a real push-pull between what’s described and what’s left undone. Look at the way her far leg is just sort of suggested. It’s like Diebenkorn is saying, “Okay, you get the idea, I don’t need to spell it all out.” And the hand that’s propping up her head? It’s almost like a scribble, but it totally works. I find myself thinking about Matisse and his drawings. I think it's also related to Cy Twombly, with that sense of immediacy, and a willingness to let the process show. In art, the conversation never really ends, does it? It just keeps evolving, one mark at a time.