Untitled [seated nude leaning forward on crossed leg] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this drawing, Untitled [seated nude leaning forward on crossed leg], with a dark pencil on paper. Look at how the strokes swarm over the figure, creating a dense network of lines. It's like he’s feeling his way around the form, trying to capture the weight of the body and the way the light falls across it. I wonder what Diebenkorn was thinking as he made this drawing? He's really known for his paintings. Was he trying to get to something essential, something foundational? Or was he just having fun and trying to work something out, maybe getting to know the model as he was drawing her? Each mark seems to carry its own weight, its own energy. It reminds me of artists like Giacometti, who were also interested in capturing the fleeting nature of existence, with their dark lines, and scribbled surfaces. There's a real conversation going on between artists across time, each one building on the ideas and experiences of those who came before. It's amazing.