Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an oil drawing by Charles White. It dates from 1973 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1973, this untitled work by Charles White is executed in oil wash on board and is classified as a drawing. The piece is part of the collection of the Museum of Modern Art. Its composition centers on a solitary figure rendered in muted brown tones, set against a background of geometric forms.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure wears a long robe, a tall hat, and a scarf, and holds a rectangular placard. One hand is extended upward, with the index and middle fingers raised, a gesture that can be read as either a religious blessing or a protest sign. The ambiguous symbolism invites consideration of spiritual or activist narratives.
Technique & Style
White employs an oil wash that creates soft transitions of tone, while the chiaroscuro modeling gives the figure a three‑dimensional presence against the flat, rectangular background. The limited palette of browns contributes to an earthy atmosphere, and the juxtaposition of figurative detail with geometric shapes reflects a restrained, modernist aesthetic.
History & Provenance
The work entered the Museum of Modern Art’s holdings after its creation, though the exact acquisition details are not publicly recorded. Since its addition to the museum’s collection, it has been displayed as part of exhibitions exploring mid‑20th‑century American drawing and the social concerns present in White’s oeuvre.
Artist & collection
Artist
Charles Wilbert White Jr. was an American artist known for his chronicling of African American related subjects in paintings, drawings, lithographs, and murals. White's lifelong commitment to chronicling the triumphs…
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Statue of Rudolf II in a niche
Saint Bartholomew
Statue of Albert I in a niche
Copy of a detail of the Ghent Altarpiece, St John the Baptist by Hubert and Jan van Eyck in the church of St Bavon, Ghent.
Untitled
Untitled
Untitled
Untitled
Henry I, Duke of Brabant, 1220
Jan van Eyck (c.1385–1441) (design for a mosaic in the Victoria and Albert Museum) (formerly attributed to Agnes Sutherland)
Icoana este pictată pe lemn, reprezentându-l pe Sfântul Nicolae cu veșminte arhierești (felon roșu, omofor albastru și mitră pe cap), ținând Evanghelia închisă cu mâna stângă și binecuvântând cu mâna dreaptă. Cromatică: roșu, albastru, verde, maro închis.