Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a drawing by Jean Dubuffet. It dates from 1921 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Jean Dubuffet's Untitled (1921) is a sanguine drawing on paper, depicting a serene portrait of a woman seated in an ornate chair. Characterized by simplicity and elegance, the work contrasts with Dubuffet's later emphasis on raw expression.
Subject & Meaning
The subject is a woman with short hair, dressed in a long-sleeved, high-necklined dress, and a shawl over her lap. Her calm expression and poised hands, one holding a small object, convey a sense of quiet contemplation.
Technique & Style
Executed in sanguine, a reddish-brown medium, on light paper, the drawing showcases Dubuffet's early mastery of traditional techniques before his shift towards unconventional art brut methods.
History & Provenance
Created in 1921, during Dubuffet's pre-art brut period, the drawing is now part of The Museum of Modern Art's collection, reflecting his early artistic explorations.
Context
While Untitled aligns with Dubuffet's early engagement with conventional drawing, it precedes his influential founding of the art brut movement, which championed unrefined, raw artistic expression.
Legacy
This early work provides a nuanced view of Dubuffet's artistic evolution, contrasting his later radical style with the serene, traditional elegance of Untitled.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jean Philippe Arthur Dubuffet (French pronunciation:; 31 July 1901 – 12 May 1985) was a French painter and sculptor of the École de Paris (School of Paris).
- An old market woman.
Portrait Study - Mrs. Phillip
Portrait Study: Mrs. Philip
Untitled
Untitled
Study of My Mother, Second Stone
Untitled
The Artist's Mother Seated, in an Oriental Headdress
Irish Grandmother
Untitled
Lady Haden
Portrait of Inger Margrethe Høyen, née Schrøder, the Mother of the Art Historian N.L. Høyen