Untitled [seated female nude resting arm on left knee] [verso] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this drawing of a seated nude using graphite on paper. Look at the quick, searching lines—you can imagine him circling the figure, trying to capture its essence. I love how he simplifies the figure, almost abstracting it, but still manages to convey weight and volume. It feels like he's really looking, not just copying what he sees, but trying to understand the underlying structure. The marks around the face are smudged and reworked, as if Diebenkorn is trying to find something that won't quite reveal itself. It reminds me of Matisse, but with a uniquely Diebenkorn's sensitivity. You see echoes of his later abstract works too, a similar attention to line and composition. Artists are always in dialogue, aren't they? It’s like a beautiful, ongoing conversation. And with a drawing like this, we get to listen in.