Untitled [portrait] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this portrait with ink on paper. There is something so immediate in the quality of the line that I feel like he must have made this alla prima, in one go. I wonder what was going through Diebenkorn's head when he made this work. Did he know this person? Did he like them? Did he feel like he knew them? As a painter myself, I often feel like I am getting to know the subject when making a painting. But of course, the painting can never capture the whole person, can it? The ink is applied sparingly, but expressively. See that confident brushstroke that defines the nose? It's like a shorthand for "nose-ness." Diebenkorn's marks remind me of Matisse and his incredible ability to say so much with so little. Painters are always talking to each other, across time, don't you think? Like a conversation in a big, messy studio. And that's what makes painting so exciting!