Who painted Untitled?

Untitled was painted by Kiki Smith in 1999.

Where can I see Untitled?

Untitled is held by Museum of Modern Art.

Untitled by Kiki Smith (1999) · Meaning & Museum

About this work

Overview

Created in 1999, this print by Kiki Smith combines photogravure and lithography to layer two distinct black-and-white compositions.

Created in 1999, this print by Kiki Smith combines photogravure and lithography to layer two distinct black-and-white compositions. One depicts a quiet winter landscape, bare trees and a frozen pond, while the other presents a field of finely drawn snowflakes. A vertical strip of handwritten text runs along the right edge, repeating a phrase with mechanical persistence. The work exists in the collection of The Museum of Modern Art.

Subject & Meaning

The imagery evokes stillness and isolation, with the frozen pond mirroring the skeletal trees as if nature holds its breath. The snowflakes, rendered with intricate linework, suggest fragility and transience. The repeated phrase, 'let me freeze again to death,' introduces a psychological weight, transforming the serene scene into a meditation on surrender, endurance, and emotional numbness.

Technique & Style

Smith employed photogravure for the landscape’s tonal depth and lithography for the delicate snowflake patterns and handwritten text. The contrast between the soft, atmospheric ground and the sharp, linear snowflakes highlights her control over print media. The text, manually inscribed and mechanically repeated, blurs the line between personal expression and institutional repetition.

History & Provenance

Produced in 1999, the work entered The Museum of Modern Art’s collection shortly after its creation. It is part of a broader series by Smith exploring the body, nature, and mortality through print. No public record indicates prior ownership, suggesting it was produced as a limited edition intended for institutional acquisition.

Context

This piece emerged during a period when Smith increasingly integrated text into her visual work, responding to themes of vulnerability and existential quiet. The winter setting aligns with her interest in natural cycles and bodily decay. The handwritten repetition recalls literary and spiritual traditions of incantation, grounding the image in a contemplative, almost ritualistic space.

Legacy

Untitled exemplifies Smith’s ability to merge natural imagery with textual introspection, influencing later artists who use print to convey emotional states. Its restrained palette and quiet intensity have contributed to broader recognition of printmaking as a medium for psychological depth, not merely reproduction.