Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an oil painting by the Abstract Expressionist artist Leon Golub. It dates from 3 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Untitled is an abstract oil painting by Leon Golub, executed in oil and lacquer on canvas. It is part of the collection at The Museum of Modern Art.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a single, stiffly posed figure from the waist up, set against a pale, irregular background. The subject's face is obscured, and their arms hang limply by their sides.
Technique & Style
Golub achieved a textured, uneven surface by scraping and layering thick, rough patches of yellowish-brown paint, evoking cracked earth or dried mud. The incorporation of lacquer alongside oil enhances the gritty, heavy quality of the work.
History & Provenance
Created in 1963, the painting is now held in the permanent collection of The Museum of Modern Art.
Context
The work's emphasis on expressive, heavy textures aligns with the principles of impasto, a technique characterized by thick, raised paint application.
Artist & collection
Artist
Leon Golub was an American painter. He was born in Chicago, Illinois, where he also studied, receiving his BA at the University of Chicago in 1942, and his BFA and MFA at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in…
