Untitled [head of a woman] 1955 - 1967

This head of a woman was drawn by Richard Diebenkorn using what looks like ink on paper. The ink bleeds and pools in places, giving it this lush, wet quality. Looking at it, you can really see Diebenkorn thinking through the image, mapping out the face with these confident, fluid lines. It's like he's improvising, letting the ink lead the way. The hair is a mass of scribbled energy, a storm of lines that somehow define the shape of her head. Then you see these thicker strokes defining her eyes and cheekbones. The way the ink blots and spatters, it’s not just about representation; it’s about the pure joy of mark-making. There's something about the directness of this piece, the way Diebenkorn embraces the accidents and imperfections, that reminds me of Cy Twombly's drawings. Like Twombly, Diebenkorn turns the simple act of drawing into something profound and deeply human. It’s a reminder that art is as much about the process as it is about the final image.