Untitled [nude in an armchair sitting on one leg] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this drawing – a nude in an armchair sitting on one leg – using charcoal on paper. Look at the raw energy of the lines, the way they capture not just the form but the very act of seeing. I imagine Diebenkorn, hunkered down, charcoal in hand, trying to capture the essence of his model. He is wrestling with the weight and volume of the body with those fierce, searching strokes, almost like he is carving the figure out of thin air. The charcoal isn’t just describing what’s there; it’s creating a sense of depth and movement. The smudges and erasures show the pushes and pulls, the constant questioning and adjusting. Think of other artists like Matisse and Giacometti. They are all in dialogue across time, all trying to solve similar problems with line and form. Each mark here is a decision, a step in a dance between artist and subject, embracing the beautiful uncertainty of the moment.