Who painted Untitled?

Untitled was painted by Cildo Meireles in 1976.

Where can I see Untitled?

Untitled is held by Museum of Modern Art.

Untitled by Cildo Meireles (1976) · Meaning & Museum

About this work

Overview

Created in 1976, this double‑sided offset lithograph by Brazilian artist Cildo Meireles is part of the collection at the Museum of Modern Art. The work appropriates the visual language of a Brazilian banknote, presenting a large numeral zero on each side, each pierced by a central void and rendered in a brown‑red hue.

Subject & Meaning

The central motif, a zero with a cut‑out hole, references the monetary value of the note, suggesting an absence or loss within the currency system. By foregrounding the word “ZERO” alongside the official inscription “BANCO CENTRAL DO BRASIL” and a handwritten‑style signature, the piece invites reflection on the emptiness of economic symbols and the fragility of fiscal authority.

Technique & Style

Meireles employed offset lithography, a printing process that transfers ink from a prepared stone or plate to paper via a rubber blanket. The choice of a limited brownish‑red palette emphasizes the austerity of the original banknote while the precise cut‑out in the numeral demonstrates a deliberate manipulation of the printed surface, merging graphic design with conceptual intervention.

History & Provenance

The lithograph entered the Museum of Modern Art’s holdings shortly after its creation, becoming one of the few works by Meireles in a major U.S. institution. Its acquisition reflects the museum’s interest in Latin American conceptual art of the 1970s, a period marked by political unrest and artistic critique of state power.

Context

Produced during Brazil’s military dictatorship, the work aligns with Meireles’s broader practice of using everyday objects to question authority. The use of a banknote, a state‑issued symbol of economic control, mirrors contemporary artistic strategies that repurposed official documents to expose contradictions in the public sphere.