Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Anatoli Lvovich Kaplan. It dates from 1959 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
The border has a swirly, decorative pattern, and the center has text in a blocky, old-style font, some of it looks like names or titles.
This image looks like a printed sheet with five small portraits arranged in a frame. The portraits are simple line drawings of people’s faces, some with hats or head coverings. The border has a swirly, decorative pattern, and the center has text in a blocky, old-style font, some of it looks like names or titles.
The text is in Russian and includes the years 1957–1961, suggesting this was made during that time. The faces look like they might be religious figures, but it’s hard to tell for sure.
If you’re curious about how this was made, look up lithography.
Overview
Created in 1959, this lithographic sheet is one of twenty‑eight prints assembled in a single portfolio by Anatoli Lvovich Kaplan, a Soviet‑born artist noted for his painting, sculpture, and printmaking. The work is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art and is presented without a title, inviting viewers to focus on its visual content rather than a prescribed narrative.
Subject & Meaning
The image comprises five modestly rendered portrait heads, some topped with hats or traditional head coverings, arranged within a decorative frame. The simplicity of the line work and the inclusion of a stylized border suggest a focus on individual identity, possibly alluding to cultural or religious figures, though no explicit identification is provided.
Technique & Style
Executed in lithography, the print displays Kaplan’s characteristic economy of line, using stark black contours against a white background. The surrounding ornamental motif and block‑style Cyrillic lettering are integrated into the composition, reflecting a blend of folk‑inspired decoration with modern graphic sensibility typical of mid‑20th‑century Soviet print media.
History & Provenance
The lithograph was produced between 1957 and 1961, a period during which Kaplan explored themes drawn from his Jewish heritage within the constraints of Soviet artistic policy. After its inclusion in the original portfolio, the piece entered the Museum of Modern Art’s holdings, where it remains part of the institution’s print and drawing collection.
Artist & collection
Artist
Anatoli Lvovich Kaplan (Russian: Анатолий Львович Каплан, Yiddish: תנחום קאפלאן), (1902 – 1980) was a Soviet-era Russian painter, sculptor and printmaker, whose works often reflect his Jewish origins.
