Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a print by Aleksei Kravchenko. It dates from 1928 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1928, this linoleum cut by Soviet artist Aleksei Kravchenko depicts a river scene punctuated by a stone bridge, a floating house with a green roof, and a modest cluster of buildings. The composition balances activity—two figures strolling along the water’s edge—with a tranquil atmosphere, rendered in stark black outlines and flat areas of color.
Subject & Meaning
The image presents a modest urban landscape: a river flanked by trees, a bridge with arches, and simple, box‑shaped structures on the right bank. A house appears to float on the water, while pedestrians move along a path, suggesting everyday life along a waterfront and perhaps alluding to the coexistence of human habitation and natural surroundings.
Technique & Style
Executed as a linoleum cut, the work employs bold, clean lines characteristic of woodcut aesthetics, with large blocks of unmodulated color. The medium allows for crisp contrasts between black and the limited palette, emphasizing geometric forms and the flatness of the scene while maintaining a sense of depth through overlapping elements.
History & Provenance
Kravchenko, known primarily for his graphic and illustrative output after the Russian Revolution, produced this print during his shift from romantic painting to printmaking. The piece entered the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, where it remains part of the institution’s holdings of early 20th‑century Soviet graphic art.
Artist & collection
Artist
Aleksei Ilyich Kravchenko (1889, Pokrovskaya Sloboda , Saratov region, Russia – 1940 Moscow, Russia) was a Soviet painter, illustrator, draughtsman and printmaker.
