Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a graphite drawing by Richard Prince. It dates from 1985 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1985, this untitled work consists of a single sheet of paper marked only with faint pencil strokes. The piece measures the minimal intervention of the hand, presenting a near‑blank surface that invites contemplation of the act of drawing itself. It is part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
Subject & Meaning
Rather than depicting a recognizable scene, the drawing foregrounds the notion of drawing as a concept. The barely perceptible lines suggest an unfinished gesture, prompting viewers to question the boundaries between mark, idea, and finished artwork.
Technique & Style
Executed with graphite, the work employs delicate, almost invisible hatching that could be described as a restrained form of cross‑hatching. The lightness of the strokes emphasizes the artist’s interest in the visual language of minimal mark‑making.
History & Provenance
The piece was produced by Richard Prince, an American artist known for his conceptual and pop‑culture interventions, during his early career in New York’s East Village. It entered MoMA’s collection shortly after its creation, reflecting the institution’s interest in his emerging practice.
Context
Prince’s broader oeuvre in the 1980s involved appropriation and rephotography of commercial imagery, often recontextualizing everyday objects. This drawing extends that inquiry by stripping away subject matter, focusing instead on the formal act of drawing as a cultural gesture.
Artist & collection
Artist
Richard Prince (born August 6, 1949) is an American conceptual artist and pop artist who rose to prominence in the 1980s in the East Village, Manhattan.
