Untitled [female nude in prone position: buttocks and legs] 1955 - 1967

This drawing of a reclining nude is by Richard Diebenkorn, though we don't know exactly when it was made. I imagine him kneeling over the paper, charcoal in hand, his brow furrowed in concentration. Diebenkorn is known for his Ocean Park paintings—big, airy abstractions that are all about light and space. But here, in this intimate drawing, he's grappling with something more immediate, a real human form. See how he uses these quick, scribbled lines to define the curve of the back, the swell of the buttocks? It's like he’s feeling his way around the form, mapping out the landscape of the body. The strokes are so physical, so alive. It’s like he is wrestling with how to define that human form. Even though it's just a simple sketch, you can feel the weight of art history behind it. I am sure he was looking at Matisse and Picasso. Artists are always talking to each other, across time, you know? It's an ongoing conversation.