Untitled [female nude on the floor leaning on her right arm] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this drawing of a female nude, using graphite on paper. It looks like he’s figuring things out, not trying to be perfect, just letting the process be visible. Look at the way the lines waver and loop back on themselves, especially around the legs and torso. There’s a double line in places, a kind of echo of the first mark. It’s like he’s searching for the right form, adjusting and refining as he goes. I like how the graphite catches the light, giving the drawing a slightly shimmering quality. It’s a simple material, but it can be so expressive. This reminds me a little of Matisse’s line drawings, that same sense of economy and grace, but with a more grounded, human feel. It’s like Diebenkorn is saying, “Here’s what I see, here’s how I’m trying to understand it.” And in that process, he invites us to see and understand along with him.