Artwork
Untitled (Robin)
Untitled (Robin) is a print by Cornelia Baltes. It dates from 2011 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
This is a screen print called Untitled (Robin). Cornelia Baltes made it in 2011.
The print comes from a prize Jealous Print Studio started in 2009. They pick one graduate from eight London art schools each year. Winners get a paid residency to make a limited print edition. Baltes won while studying at the Slade School of Fine Art.
Check out the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Overview
Her work, titled Untitled (Robin), was created during this residency and became part of a yearly portfolio of prints from eight London art colleges.
In 2011, Cornelia Baltes, then an MA Fine Art student at the Slade School of Fine Art, won the Jealous Print Studio Graduate Prize. The award granted her a fully funded residency to produce a limited-edition screen print. Her work, titled Untitled (Robin), was created during this residency and became part of a yearly portfolio of prints from eight London art colleges. All editions from the program have been donated to the V&A’s print collection.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts a robin, rendered in simplified, flat tones with subtle gradients. The bird, a common symbol in British visual culture, is presented without contextual detail, inviting quiet contemplation. The choice of subject reflects a personal observation rather than a narrative, emphasizing form and presence over symbolism. The composition’s stillness suggests an intimate moment of natural observation.
Technique & Style
Baltes employed screen printing to achieve precise, layered color fields. The image uses minimal hues, soft greens, muted browns, and a pale orange, to build the bird’s form. Sharp edges and clean lines contrast with delicate tonal transitions, demonstrating control over the medium.
The technique highlights the materiality of ink on paper, aligning with the print studio’s focus on process-driven production.
History & Provenance
The Jealous Print Studio launched its Graduate Prize in 2009 to support emerging artists through residencies and print production. Winners from eight major London art schools each year contribute a single edition to a collective portfolio. Baltes’s Untitled (Robin) was produced in 2011 as part of this initiative.
All editions from the program have been permanently acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum for its print collection.
Context
The prize emerged during a period of renewed interest in printmaking as a contemporary art form, particularly in UK art schools. By offering access to professional studios and technical guidance, Jealous bridged academic training and professional practice. Baltes’s inclusion reflected the Slade’s emphasis on observational drawing and material experimentation, values evident in her restrained, precise approach to the robin motif.
Legacy
The Graduate Prize continues to connect emerging artists with printmaking expertise and institutional recognition. Baltes’s contribution remains part of a broader archive documenting how printmaking evolves within academic contexts. Its presence in the V&A ensures ongoing access for study and exhibition, affirming the role of institutional support in sustaining contemporary print practices.
Artist & collection
Artist
Cornelia Baltes makes screen prints that feel quiet and precise. In Untitled (Robin) from 2011, a single bird sits against a pale field of color, its shape cut cleanly from ink. The image distills the everyday into…
![TiT [This is Tomorrow], by Richard Hamilton](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/richard-hamilton--tit-this-is-tomorrow--87ce6150b42452c8-w320.webp)
