Untitled [seated female nude resting her arms on her knee] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this untitled drawing of a seated nude with graphite on paper. There's a kind of searching quality to the lines, like he's feeling his way around the form, not trying to nail it down, but exploring the possibilities. It's all about the process. The texture of the paper is smooth. The graphite is dry and a little scratchy. The lines are thin and light, almost like whispers. Look at the shading on the figure's left side, near her head. There's a cluster of short, parallel strokes that give the form weight and volume, but without being too precise. It's like he's suggesting the curve of her body. This drawing reminds me of Matisse, who also loved to draw the figure with a simple, elegant line. Both artists have that ability to capture the essence of the human form with just a few strokes. It's a conversation that has been going on for centuries, and Diebenkorn is adding his own voice to it.