Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Angela Jansen. It dates from 1972 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Untitled, produced in 1972, is a print that combines photoengraving, etching, and aquatint. The work is part of the Museum of Modern Art’s collection and exemplifies the artist’s focus on printmaking techniques. It reflects the practice of an American printmaker active in the mid‑twentieth century.
Technique & Style
The image was assembled through a layered process: photoengraving supplies the photographic detail, while etching and aquatint contribute line work and tonal washes. This combination yields a contrast between sharply rendered figures in the foreground and softer, almost translucent portrait heads that hover above them, creating a visual hierarchy within the same plate.
Subject & Meaning
The composition depicts a densely populated interior where figures in period dress mingle, some holding drinks and engaged in conversation. Above the crowd, a series of faded portrait heads—suggesting both Native American and European features—observe the scene, introducing a dialogue between the present gathering and historical or cultural antecedents.
History & Provenance
The artist, Angela Jansen (b. 1929), trained at Brooklyn College and the Brooklyn Museum Art School before joining the experimental studio Atelier 17 under Stanley Hayter. Her involvement with this influential workshop informed her approach to printmaking, and the resulting work entered MoMA’s holdings, where it remains accessible for study.
Artist & collection
Artist
Angela Jansen (born 1929), also known as Angela Bing Jansen, is an American painter, sculptor, printmaker and photographer.
