Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an oil painting by the Contemporary Abstract artist Anselm Kiefer. It dates from 1978 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1978, this untitled work by Anselm Kiefer combines oil paint with a woodcut printed on paper that has been affixed to canvas. The piece is part of the Museum of Modern Art’s collection and exemplifies Kiefer’s interest in layered, tactile surfaces.
Subject & Meaning
The composition consists of a dense grid of monochrome faces and hands, each rendered with varying degrees of clarity. Some features emerge sharply, while others dissolve into cracks, smudges, and fragmented lines that suggest a sense of disintegration or collective anonymity.
Technique & Style
Kiefer employs a mixed-media approach: a woodcut impression is overlaid with thick oil applications that are scraped and scratched into the surface. The resulting texture is heavily impastoed, with torn edges and patches of color that break through the predominantly black‑and‑white field, creating a tactile, almost three‑dimensional effect.
History & Provenance
The work was produced in the late 1970s, a period when Kiefer was exploring themes of memory and materiality through experimental print and painting methods. It entered the Museum of Modern Art’s holdings shortly after its creation, where it remains on view.
Context
During the 1970s, Kiefer’s practice was marked by a fascination with the physicality of the medium, often using unconventional supports and layering techniques. This piece reflects that broader artistic inquiry, aligning with contemporaneous movements that emphasized surface, texture, and the residue of history.
Artist & collection
Artist
Anselm Kiefer is a German painter and sculptor. He studied with Peter Dreher and Horst Antes at the end of the 1960s. His works incorporate materials such as straw, ash, clay, lead, and shellac. The poems of Paul Celan…
