Untitled [seated woman in a patterned dress] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this drawing of a seated woman in a patterned dress with graphite on paper. It's a simple combination of materials, but the artist's hand is very much in evidence. Diebenkorn’s lines are not tentative, but neither are they emphatic. He strikes a balance, capturing the essence of his sitter through a dance of marks. There is a sensitivity to the way the graphite interacts with the paper. The tooth of the paper grabs the graphite, creating subtle variations in tone and texture. The sketchiness gives an intimate feeling. It is as though we are looking over the artist's shoulder as he works. With the drawing’s seemingly off-the-cuff nature, we might overlook the labor involved in mastering this kind of fluency. Ultimately, it’s through our attention to these understated methods that we come to appreciate the full meaning of Diebenkorn’s work. He reminds us that even the simplest of materials can yield profound results.