Untitled
1940
oil
canvas
From the collection of Museum of Modern Art
1940
oil
canvas
From the collection of Museum of Modern Art
Untitled is a 1940 oil by Jewett Campbell, a American Impressionism work, held at Museum of Modern Art.
This painting shows a tall, blocky building floating in a flooded street. The water is calm, reflecting the building’s many windows. In the foreground, three small figures—two standing and one lying—look tiny against the giant structure. The sky above is cloudy, with hints of blue-gray. The building’s odd proportions and the empty street give it a dreamlike, almost surreal feel. The artist used thick brushstrokes to make the water and sky look textured, almost like they’re part of the same strange world. If this style intrigues you, look up impasto next.
Jewett Campbell was an American painter, and teacher, from Richmond, Virginia. He taught painting and printmaking for 40 years at the Virginia Commonwealth University.
See the richer artist page
