Untitled [side view of a female nude with hands clasped] 1955 - 1967

Here we see Richard Diebenkorn's "Untitled [side view of a female nude with hands clasped]," a drawing rendered with charcoal on paper. The composition immediately directs our gaze to the figure, whose form is delineated with an economy of line that suggests both mass and movement. The texture of the charcoal lends a tactile quality, contrasting with the smooth areas of the paper, evoking a sense of immediacy. Diebenkorn's strategic use of line is striking. Notice how he employs hatching and cross-hatching to create areas of shadow and depth, particularly in the figure's torso and the drapery beneath her. The negative space around the figure is as important as the figure itself, defining the subject and enhancing the composition. This approach embodies a semiotic interplay between presence and absence, where the unsaid—or un-drawn—contributes as much to the narrative as what is explicitly depicted. The woman is kneeling and in a position of reverence, yet this does not necessarily reflect conventional values of femininity or classical beauty. The drawing prompts us to reconsider how we construct meaning through visual cues and challenges us to look beyond the surface.