Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a print by Caroline Durieux. It dates from 1959 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1959, this untitled work by Caroline Durieux is a cliché‑verre print in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art. The composition consists of a stark white field supporting a dark brown rectangle, above which a lighter brown circular motif sits, while a band of thin vertical lines runs beneath the rectangle.
Subject & Meaning
The image presents an abstract arrangement of geometric forms and repetitive texture rather than a representational scene. The contrast between the solid rectangle, the circular pattern, and the delicate vertical strokes invites consideration of balance, rhythm, and the interplay of surface and void within a minimalist visual language.
Technique & Style
Durieux employed the cliché‑verre process, a hybrid of photography and printmaking that involves exposing a painted or drawn glass plate to light. The work’s limited palette of brown tones against white emphasizes subtle gradations of value, while the tactile quality of the vertical lines suggests a focus on surface texture within an abstract framework.
History & Provenance
The print was produced in 1959, a period when Duréeux was exploring experimental print techniques. It entered the Museum of Modern Art’s collection, where it remains part of the institution’s holdings of mid‑century American prints, reflecting the artist’s engagement with modernist print practices.
Context
During the late 1950s, American artists increasingly investigated non‑representational forms and the possibilities of alternative printing methods. Duréeux’s use of cliché‑verre aligns with this broader movement, situating the work among contemporaneous experiments that blurred the boundaries between photography, drawing, and print.
Artist & collection
Artist
Caroline Wogan Durieux was an American printmaker, painter, and educator. She was a Professor Emeritus at both Louisiana State University, where she worked from 1943 to 1964 and at Newcomb College of Tulane University (1937–1942).
