Untitled [head of a woman with articulated shirt collar] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this drawing of a woman’s head with pencil on paper. It’s all about the line, isn’t it? The way it nervously finds its way around the form, like a hesitant caress. You can almost see him thinking, adjusting, re-routing. Look at the collar of her shirt, how it's articulated with these tentative, angular lines. There’s a sense of searching, of not quite knowing, and that's what makes it so alive. The pressure of the pencil seems so light, barely there, yet it manages to evoke a real presence. It’s like he's mapping out the contours of her face, not just recording what he sees but also feeling his way through the process. For me, this piece feels related to the work of Agnes Martin. Both artists share a similar sensibility, a quiet intensity, and a commitment to the process of making. It shows how art is about more than just representation, it's about the act of searching, questioning, and feeling our way through the world.