Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Arthur Bowen Davies. It dates from 1923 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art. Arthur B.
About this work
Overview
Arthur B. Davies’ 1923 lithograph, untitled, presents a nocturnal tableau of four figures arranged in a dim, turbulent setting. The composition is dominated by stark, heavy outlines and a smudged surface that conveys motion and psychological tension, while the faces of the characters remain indistinct, emphasizing anonymity over individual identity.
Subject & Meaning
The work depicts a solitary figure with uplifted arms juxtaposed against three crouched companions whose bodies intertwine in a cramped cluster. The surrounding atmosphere, rendered with swirling, cloud‑like forms, suggests an unsettled or storm‑laden environment, inviting viewers to contemplate themes of collective distress, hidden emotion, or a shared crisis.
Technique & Style
Executed in lithography, Davies employs thick, dark lines and a deliberately blurred texture to generate a sense of agitation. The print’s tonal contrasts and gestural smearing are characteristic of his broader interest in ethereal, dream‑like imagery, while the stark chiaroscuro underscores the work’s dramatic intensity.
History & Provenance
Created during Davies’ most experimental phase, when he was actively championing modernist ideas in America, the lithograph entered the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, where it remains part of the institution’s holdings of early twentieth‑century American prints.
Artist & collection
Artist
Arthur Bowen Davies (September 26, 1862 – October 24, 1928) was an avant-garde American artist and influential advocate of modern art in the United States c. 1910–1928.
