Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a watercolor drawing by Manfred Pernice. It dates from 1998 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Untitled, a work on paper created in 1998, combines watercolor, pencil, and pressure‑sensitive tape applied to graph paper that is housed in a cardboard case with a book. The piece is classified as a drawing and belongs to the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
Subject & Meaning
The composition presents a pair of dark trousers, a belt, and shoes rendered in swift pencil strokes. The legs appear loosely balanced, suggesting a tentative stance, while the background contains a faint chair silhouette and abstract scribbles that resist a clear narrative, inviting viewers to contemplate everyday objects in a provisional state.
Technique & Style
Pernice employs a mixed‑media approach: pencil outlines define the forms, watercolor adds flat gray tones and lighter streaks to the garments, and strips of pressure‑sensitive tape interrupt the surface, creating a slightly chaotic, unfinished quality. The use of graph paper imposes a subtle grid that contrasts with the hand‑drawn spontaneity.
History & Provenance
The drawing was produced in 1998 and entered the Museum of Modern Art’s collection shortly thereafter. It remains in the museum’s holdings, presented in a cardboard case that includes a book, reflecting the artist’s intent to preserve the work’s material context.
Context
Created during a period when artists explored the boundaries between drawing and painting, the piece reflects a broader interest in process‑oriented works that foreground the act of making. Its modest scale and utilitarian materials align with late‑1990s investigations of everyday documentation and the aesthetics of draftsmanship.
Artist & collection
![Man Wearing a Cloak [verso], by Édouard Manet](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/edouard-manet--man-wearing-a-cloak-verso--0bd057994533d120-w320.webp)
