Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Joseph Hirsch. It dates from 1975 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art. Created in 1975, this lithograph belongs to a mixed-media portfolio that also includes screenprints and collage elements.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1975, this lithograph belongs to a mixed-media portfolio that also includes screenprints and collage elements. It is part of the Museum of Modern Art’s collection, where several other works by the same artist are held. The piece exemplifies the artist’s engagement with printmaking as a vehicle for social commentary.
Subject & Meaning
The image portrays two figures aboard a small boat. One man, dressed in a blue shirt and orange tunic, hoists a large box overhead, while the other, in a green shirt, grips an axe. The stark, light‑blue sky and looming dark clouds suggest an atmosphere of tension, hinting at themes of labor, burden, and possible civic unrest.
Technique & Style
Executed as a lithograph, the work relies on bold, decisive lines and a vivid palette of primary colors. The contrast between the bright clothing and the muted background creates visual dynamism, while the flat areas of color and simplified forms reflect the artist’s expressive, graphic approach to printmaking.
History & Provenance
The lithograph was produced as part of a six‑lithograph series, accompanied by four screenprints (one with collage) and two hybrid lithograph‑screenprint pieces. After its creation, the work entered the Museum of Modern Art’s holdings, joining a broader representation of the artist’s socially oriented oeuvre in major public collections.
Context
The artist, active as a painter, illustrator, muralist, and educator, frequently addressed issues of civic corruption and racial injustice. This print, with its allegorical boat scene, aligns with his broader practice of using everyday labor imagery to critique systemic inequities in American society during the 1970s.
Artist & collection
Artist
Joseph Hirsch (1910–1981) was an American painter, illustrator, muralist and teacher.
