Untitled [female nude resting on a bed] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this drawing of a female nude resting on a bed. The grey pencil lines dance and weave, sketching out the form with a raw, immediate energy. I can imagine Diebenkorn quickly capturing the essence of the figure, line by line. The tilted head, the weight of the limbs, the shadows that model the form... I wonder what he was thinking as he worked? Was he grappling with the classic problem of representing the human form, or lost in the sheer pleasure of mark-making? The varied pressure of the pencil creates a play of light and shadow. The quick, assertive strokes around her arm contrast with the softer, more tentative lines defining her face. Diebenkorn's known for his Ocean Park series, with their geometric abstraction. It’s interesting to see this more figurative work, as it allows us to appreciate the foundation of drawing and observation beneath all his work. Like many artists, Diebenkorn was in conversation with the art of the past, yet he was also forging his own path, inviting us to see the world with fresh eyes.