Untitled

Untitled

El Lissitzky

1922

gouache

From the collection of Museum of Modern Art

About this work

This painting shows simple shapes on a light background. There’s a tall black rectangle with a diamond inside it, a red stripe leaning sideways, and a gray bar cutting across the middle. The colors are flat—no shadows or texture—just bold lines and blocks. The artist used thin ink lines to connect the shapes, making them look like they’re floating. The whole thing feels like a puzzle or a diagram. Check out the technique: gouache to see how this soft, opaque paint works.

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