Untitled [back view of standing nude looking down] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this undated charcoal drawing of a standing nude. Look how the figure emerges from the paper, built up with lines, erasures, and corrections. I can imagine Diebenkorn circling the figure, finding its form and presence. He seems to be searching for a way to capture the weight and stance of the body. The lines are so expressive, and even though they are simple, they convey so much about the figure's posture and the fall of light across the back. I particularly like how the back seems to curve and tilt, like the figure is in a state of reflection, her gaze cast downward in contemplation. It reminds me a little of some of Matisse's line drawings, where a single contour can contain a whole world of feeling. With the bare minimum, these artists speak volumes.