Untitled [seated nude with her leg pulled into an armchair] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this untitled charcoal drawing of a seated nude, with her leg pulled into an armchair, sometime during his career. You can really feel the process in this drawing, can’t you? The smudgy charcoal gives the figure a soft, almost blurry quality, like a half-remembered dream. The lines are confident but not overly precise, capturing the essence of the pose. Look at the way he’s built up the shadows under the chair – a dense thicket of marks that create depth and weight. Then, notice how a few simple lines define the curve of her breast or the angle of her leg, he’s doing so much with so little. For me, this piece connects to others like Matisse. It's a reminder that art isn't about perfection, but about the joy of seeing and the messy, beautiful act of creation.