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Untitled

Alexis Gritchenko

1920

graphite

paper

From the collection of Museum of Modern Art

Early Modern

Dominant colour

Untitled is a 1920 graphite by Alexis Gritchenko, held at Museum of Modern Art.

Who painted this?: Alexis Gritchenko
When & what style?: 1920
Where can I see it?: Museum of Modern Art

About this work

This sketch is all loose lines and quick strokes. You see a crowd of people—some standing, some walking—drawn in thin pencil. Their shapes are simple, almost like stick figures, but with a few details like hats and bags. The background has a few buildings and a streetlamp, but everything looks rushed, like it was drawn fast. The paper itself is light, almost see-through, and the pencil marks show through. The artist used lots of lines stacked on top of each other to fill in shadows. It feels raw, like a first draft or a quick idea jotted down. Next, check out cross-hatching to see how artists build up tones with layered lines.