Untitled [woman with cigarette seated in a Windsor chair] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this ink drawing of a woman with a cigarette, seated in a Windsor chair, at some point during his career. Look at the economy of line here. How the thinnest black ink defines the figure's arm and breast, a continuous gesture describing her form and weight. The inky washes create a dynamic tension, with areas of the figure lost in shadow and the chair constructed with bold strokes. Diebenkorn's use of ink allows the white of the paper to breathe, creating a translucent, ghostly quality, a snapshot of a moment captured with speed and precision. Notice the hand holding the cigarette, the darkness and the weight that it creates, like a cloud obscuring the sitter's face, an echo of her interior world. For me, this piece is similar to the work of Matisse, another master of line and form, who shared Diebenkorn's passion for capturing the essence of a subject with minimal means. Both artists understood that art is not about perfection, but about process, embracing the beauty of imperfection and ambiguity.