1914
oil
canvas
From the collection of Museum of Modern Art
Dominant colour
Untitled is a 1914 oil by Francis Picabia, held at Museum of Modern Art.
This painting shows a messy, dreamlike scene with two figures tangled together. One holds a glowing, egg-shaped object like a lightbulb, while the other clutches a long, curved shape that looks like a violin or a bow. The colors are flat and bold—blacks, browns, and a few bright spots of yellow and purple—with sharp, uneven edges. Everything feels jumbled, like the figures are caught in motion or melting. The painting was made just before World War I, when artists were experimenting with new ways to break from tradition. The figures’ awkward poses and strange objects suggest a world turned upside down. Next, check out impasto, the thick paint technique that makes some areas look almost sculpted.
Francis Picabia (French: : born Francis-Marie Martinez de Picabia; 22 January 1879 – 30 November 1953) was a French avant-garde painter, writer, filmmaker, magazine publisher, poet, and typographist closely associated with Dada.
See the richer artist page
