Untitled [side view of female nude] 1955 - 1967

This drawing of a female nude in profile was made by Richard Diebenkorn, with what looks like graphite on paper. The way Diebenkorn works the dark lines reminds me of Cy Twombly. There's this quality of touch, a real intimacy with the making of the work. Look at how the lines are layered to create a sense of volume in the figure’s form, especially in the torso. It’s not about perfect representation but more about the act of seeing and translating that vision onto paper, like a dance. The lines create this kind of vibrating energy. It's as if the artist is feeling his way around the form, not just describing it, but making it. This piece has a kinship with Matisse's line drawings. Both artists shared a commitment to exploring the expressive possibilities of the human form through the simplest of means. The drawing invites us to see the world not as a fixed reality but as an ongoing process of discovery.