Untitled [seated female nude: side view] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this nude drawing in charcoal on paper. There’s a real confidence in the mark-making here. It’s so direct, like a seismograph recording a feeling or sensation as much as the contours of the figure. The charcoal is really velvety, and the line varies in thickness, giving it a sculptural quality. Look at how he's built up the tone on the face, it feels like a shadow is obscuring the features, but it also gives a sense of three-dimensionality to the head. The paper is left bare in many places, so the figure emerges from the ground, almost unfinished, like a memory. See how the lines around the arm on the left are repeated, as if he’s searching for the right placement, or just enjoying the process of drawing. I’m reminded of Matisse’s line drawings, especially the way he could evoke so much with so little. Both artists share a love of simplicity and a belief in the power of line to capture the essence of a form. There’s no right or wrong way to see it; it’s all about feeling and experiencing the work in your own way.