Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by C. R. W. Nevinson. It dates from 1920 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art. Created in 1920, this lithograph by C.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1920, this lithograph by C. R. W. Nevinson captures a nocturnal urban scene rendered in stark contrast. The composition presents a densely populated street illuminated by glowing signage, with towering façades and a mixture of pedestrians and a horse‑drawn cart moving beneath a sky pierced by artificial light.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts a bustling city thoroughfare at night, where commercial signs such as "Broadway" and "Hotel Folly" dominate the visual field. The crowded figures and kinetic energy suggest the modern metropolis as a site of both illumination and disorder, reflecting the artist’s interest in the rapid pace of urban life.
Technique & Style
Nevinson employs precise, angular lines and deep chiaroscuro to convey the density of the street and the glare of neon signage. The lithographic process allows for crisp edges and layered tonalities, while the exaggerated bursts of light evoke a fireworks‑like effect, aligning the work with early twentieth‑century modernist aesthetics.
History & Provenance
At the time of its production Nevinson was celebrated as a leading British war artist, having trained at the Slade School under Henry Tonks alongside contemporaries such as Stanley Spencer and Mark Gertler. His earlier contact with the Italian Futurist movement, through friendship with its founder F. T. Marinetti, informed the dynamic visual language evident in this print.
Artist & collection
Artist
Christopher Richard Wynne Nevinson (13 August 1889 – 7 October 1946) was an English figure and landscape painter, etcher and lithographer, who was one of the most famous war artists of the First World War.
