Untitled [standing female nude leaning on left arm] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this untitled drawing with ink on paper. The stark contrast between the black ink and the white paper immediately draws the eye into a dynamic interplay of form and void. The composition, seemingly spontaneous, belies a careful arrangement of shapes that suggest the contours of a standing female nude. Diebenkorn's brushstrokes are broad and gestural, imbuing the figure with a sense of movement and energy. The ink bleeds and pools in certain areas, creating a rich, textural surface that invites closer inspection. But this is no traditional nude; Diebenkorn is not interested in mimetic representation. Instead, he uses the figure as a framework to explore the possibilities of abstraction, challenging conventional notions of beauty and form. The negative space surrounding the figure is just as important as the inked areas, creating a tension that destabilizes any fixed interpretation. Through this interplay of figure and ground, Diebenkorn invites us to question the very nature of representation and perception.