Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an oil painting by the Abstract Expressionist artist Jean Paul Riopelle. It dates from 1953 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1953, Untitled by Jean Paul Riopelle exemplifies the artist's pivotal shift toward Lyrical Abstraction during his early Parisian period.
Created in 1953, Untitled by Jean Paul Riopelle exemplifies the artist's pivotal shift toward Lyrical Abstraction during his early Parisian period. Executed in oil on board, the work features a dense, all-over composition where thick layers of paint are applied with a palette knife, a technique Riopelle adopted to achieve a distinct, mosaic-like texture. The surface is a vibrant interplay of red, blue, green, yellow, and black, organized not by representational forms but by the rhythmic accumulation of color blocks and expressive gestures.
This method creates a sense of dynamic energy and movement across the canvas, reflecting the influence of Surrealist automatism while asserting a unique, material presence. The painting marks a significant moment in Riopelle's career as he moved away from the more structured compositions of his Quebec years to embrace the spontaneous, gestural freedom that would define his mature style and secure his reputation as a leading figure in the international Abstract Expressionist movement. The rough impasto texture invites close inspection, emphasizing the physical act of painting and the tactile quality of the medium.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jean-Paul Riopelle, was a Canadian painter and sculptor from Quebec. He had one of the longest and most important international careers of the sixteen signatories of the Refus Global, the 1948 manifesto that announced…
