Untitled [female nude resting] [recto] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this charcoal drawing of a resting female nude on paper; we don't know when. You know, I really get a sense of the artist feeling his way through the form with each mark he makes. Look at the way Diebenkorn’s lines vary in weight and intensity, creating a push and pull between the figure and the ground. The charcoal is really immediate, right? See how the lines are thick in some places, almost like he’s digging in, and then delicate and feathery in others. The line describes the weight of the body, but it's also like a drawing of thought itself. It reminds me a little of Matisse. I think both artists share a sensitivity to the medium and how it can capture a fleeting moment. Ultimately, the drawing feels less like a depiction of a body and more like an exploration of line, space, and the very act of seeing.