Untitled [reclining nude resting on right arm] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this untitled brush and ink drawing of a reclining nude sometime during his career. The ink is applied in these bold, confident strokes that feel both immediate and considered, like a dance between control and letting go. I see Diebenkorn grappling with the push and pull of the brush across the page, each mark a response to the last. Look at the way he captures the weight of the figure, the curve of the back, with such economy of line, using the ink to model the form with an intuitive understanding of light and shadow. See the fluid strokes describing her head, falling into a dark pool of shadow. Notice how the thin washes create depth in other areas. I feel like this piece really encapsulates Diebenkorn’s knack for finding the abstract within the representational. It makes me think of Matisse and his line drawings, that same focus on essential form. There's something deeply satisfying about the way Diebenkorn embraces the inherent ambiguity of drawing, allowing the viewer's eye to complete the picture.