Untitled [female nude leaning back in chair and facing right [verso] 1955 - 1967

This is an untitled drawing by Richard Diebenkorn, and it looks like it was made with graphite and wash on paper. Diebenkorn’s lines have this searching quality, like he's feeling his way around the form, not trying to nail it down with perfect accuracy. See how the wash creates these soft, hazy areas around the figure? It’s like the light is shifting, or the memory of a body in space. There’s one dark smudge that draws my eye, sitting on the figure's thigh. It’s a small detail, but it brings a weight, a grounding to the piece. He reminds me of Matisse with his line, or maybe even a little Morandi. But Diebenkorn is doing his own thing. He’s showing us that art isn't about answers, but about exploring the questions. It’s about how many ways can you see one thing.