Untitled [reclining nude with her left arm above her head] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this drawing of a reclining nude with charcoal on paper. It's all about the process; you can almost feel the artist's hand moving across the page, building up the form with layers of dark, scribbly lines. I’m really drawn to the way Diebenkorn uses charcoal to create a sense of volume and depth. The lines are so raw and immediate, you can see the pressure he applied, the way he built up the shadows to give the figure weight. Look at the figure's face, see how the charcoal is smudged and blurred, creating this mysterious, almost ghostly effect. It reminds me of some of De Kooning’s drawings. Diebenkorn's focus on process and mark-making, his willingness to let the medium guide his hand, opens up a space of possibility and invites us to engage with the work on a deeply personal level.