Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an oil drawing by Aleksandra Ekster. It dates from 1916 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created around 1916, this untitled work combines oil and gouache on paper and is held by the Museum of Modern Art. The composition consists of stark geometric forms—black and gray triangles, a blue square, and a red‑brown border—set against a white ground. The colors are applied in flat, unmodulated areas with crisp edges, emphasizing the painting’s abstract, non‑representational intent.
Subject & Meaning
The piece presents a dynamic arrangement of geometric shapes that intersect and press against one another, generating a sense of tension and imbalance. By rejecting illusionistic space, the work foregrounds the interaction of form and color, reflecting an exploration of visual rhythm rather than narrative content.
Technique & Style
Exter employed a mixed medium of oil and gouache, allowing for both the opacity of oil and the matte quality of gouache. The paint is applied in relatively thick, impasto strokes in places, creating a tactile surface. The hard, flat planes and sharp contours align with the aesthetics of Cubo‑Futurism and early Constructivist experiments.
History & Provenance
The drawing originates from Exter’s productive period in Kiev before her relocation to Paris, where she engaged with avant‑garde circles. It entered the Museum of Modern Art’s collection as part of its early‑20th‑century modernist holdings, documenting her contribution to the Russian and Ukrainian avant‑garde and her later connections to Parisian artists.
Context
During the 1910s, Exter was active in both the Russian avant‑garde and the Parisian art scene, interacting with figures such as Picasso and Braque. Her work bridges Cubo‑Futurist dynamism and Constructivist abstraction, situating this drawing within the broader cross‑cultural exchange that shaped early modernist visual language.
Artist & collection
Artist
Aleksandra Aleksandrovna Ekster (née Grigorovich; Russian: Алекса́ндра Алекса́ндровна Эксте́р; Ukrainian: Олекса́ндра Олекса́ндрівна Е́кстер; 18 January 1882 – 17 March 1949), also known as Alexandra Exter, was a Russian and French painter…
