Untitled [female nude crouching in front of a chair] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this 'Untitled [female nude crouching in front of a chair]' using ink on paper. The brushstrokes here are so alive; it's like he's not just depicting a figure but capturing a moment of thought in motion. Diebenkorn uses this limited palette of grays and blacks to full effect. It's all about the variation in tone and density. The fluidity of the ink is palpable, especially where the brushstrokes bleed and blend, creating softer, more ambiguous forms. Look at the way the shadows pool under the figure, anchoring her in space, while the chair behind her seems to dissolve into the background. And that face! The brow is heavy with thought, the expression veiled. It's all suggestion, no hard lines. This is a study in contrasts – solid and ephemeral, present and absent, all existing in the same breath. You can see the same handling of form and space in the paintings of Matisse, who I'm sure he looked at, it's a conversation across time, right?