Untitled [reclining nude with her hand over her mouth] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this reclining nude with ink and wash on paper. Look at those expressive lines, confident but wavering, giving form to the figure. I can imagine him, brush in hand, circling and searching, trying to capture something elusive about the pose. There’s an intimacy here, right? The woman’s hand is over her mouth, almost like she’s stifling a laugh or a yawn. It makes you wonder what she’s thinking, what the mood in the room might have been. Diebenkorn wasn't trying to be slick or precise. The paint is thin, almost watery in places, and the lines bleed, which gives it this incredible immediacy. It’s like you’re seeing the act of painting itself. You can feel the connection to Matisse in this piece, but Diebenkorn's simplified forms are all his own. Painters, we’re all looking at each other, borrowing, stealing, and transforming ideas across time. It's a conversation that never ends. Each mark embraces ambiguity, allowing for multiple interpretations.