Untitled [seated female nude looking down] 1955 - 1967

This is a drawing of a seated nude made by Richard Diebenkorn. It is rendered in charcoal or graphite on paper. Look at the subtle pressure of the lines, how they describe the contours of the figure. I imagine Diebenkorn, in a room with the model, quickly mapping the space and volume with his mark-making. You can see him searching, correcting, adjusting. There’s a tenderness in the way he portrays the woman’s form. I see him trying to capture her essence, her vulnerability, in these lines. This reminds me of other figural studies by painters such as Matisse, Giacometti, and de Kooning, all of whom were also exploring the human figure. Artists are always referencing each other, riffing on ideas, pushing the boundaries of representation. It’s all one big conversation, isn’t it? Painting helps us see, and feel, the world differently. It embodies the artist’s experience but also makes space for ours.