Untitled [seated nude holding her head with her left hand] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this ink drawing of a seated nude, we don't know exactly when. Look at the bold, dark lines that define the figure against the off-white paper. The model is resting her head, lost in thought, or maybe just tired? I can almost feel the weight of her arm and the curve of her spine. I imagine Diebenkorn, with his focused gaze, capturing the essence of the pose in a few, deliberate strokes, like he's mapping out the body's architecture. It reminds me a little of Matisse, that same economy of line, but with a kind of American directness, no messing around. The ink bleeds a little in places, adding a softness to the image, like a memory half-formed. It's a really human thing to see, this quick, imperfect gesture that feels so alive. It makes me think about all the ways we try to capture a feeling, a moment, a person.