Untitled

Untitled

Ernst Van Leyden

1966

ink

From the collection of Museum of Modern Art

About this work

This painting is messy and bold. Thick black lines crisscross a bright yellow background. Some shapes look like trees or buildings, but they’re all twisted and broken. Dark patches and scribbles fill the gaps, making it feel chaotic but also kind of alive. The artist used a printing method that lets ink sit on a flat stone. That’s why the lines look sharp but uneven, like they were scraped or wiped by hand. If you like this style, look up lithography next.

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