Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a gouache drawing by Alice Rahon. It dates from 1943 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1943 by Alice Rahon, a French-born Mexican artist and poet, *Untitled* is a gouache drawing on colored paper that showcases a transitional style, blending surrealist influences with nascent abstract elements.
Subject & Meaning
The drawing features a dynamic, intertwined composition of swirling figures, faces, hands, and abstract shapes in white and pale hues against a dark background, suggesting a sense of energetic movement and visual tension.
Technique & Style
Rahon employed gouache with a smooth yet expressive technique, akin to energetic sketching, incorporating sharp angles, starburst motifs, and possibly sgraffito or textural elements, as evident in the precise yet slightly messy line work.
History & Provenance
*Untitled* is part of The Museum of Modern Art’s collection, reflecting Rahon’s innovative practice during her 1940s shift from surrealist poetry to painting in Mexico.
Artist & collection
Artist
Alice Phillipot (Alice Rahon) (8 June 1904 – September 1987) was a French-born Mexican poet and artist whose work contributed to the beginning of abstract expression in Mexico.
