Untitled [seated nude resting her hands on her knees] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this untitled drawing of a seated nude, likely on paper with graphite or charcoal. The first thing I notice is the directness of the line, the way the figure is built up with a kind of searching, exploratory mark-making. You can really see the process. The lines aren't precious, they overlap and sometimes veer off course, as if Diebenkorn is thinking through the form in real-time. This isn't about perfection; it’s about the act of seeing and recording, maybe even correcting. Look at the area around the face and shoulders. See how the lines almost vibrate, creating a sense of volume and light. There’s a real intimacy here, not just in the subject matter, but in the way Diebenkorn seems to be working to understand the model before him. This reminds me a little of Matisse's drawings, in the sense of the immediacy and the use of line to capture form and gesture. Ultimately, it stands as a testament to the power of drawing as a way of thinking and feeling.