Untitled

Untitled

Roy DeCarava

1950

ink

From the collection of Museum of Modern Art

About this work

This painting shows a face with deep red skin, glowing eyes, and a serious expression. The background is mostly black, but bright blue shapes appear on the sides—like fabric or shadows. The colors are bold and flat, with no soft edges. The artist used thick, rough lines to create the face, making it stand out against the dark. The blue areas look almost like they’re splashed on, not carefully painted. Look up chiaroscuro next to see how light and dark create drama in art.

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