Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a print by Edward Millman. It dates from 1952 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Edward Millman’s 1952 monotype, known simply as Untitled, presents a singular, elongated figure that merges human and avian traits. Rendered in a limited palette of browns, blacks, yellows, with touches of green and blue, the work balances stark line work with areas of splattered pigment, creating a textured, almost collage-like backdrop.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure combines a slender, upright body with a bird’s head, its beak rendered in sharp, angular strokes. Dressed in a long, striped garment, the creature stands upon a yellow platform, suggesting a staged presence that invites contemplation of hybrid identity and the tension between the natural and the fabricated.
Technique & Style
Executed as a monotype, the image derives from a single impression made by pressing inked paper onto a prepared surface. Millman’s rapid, jagged line work for the feathers contrasts with broader washes of color, while the torn-paper appearance of the background hints at an assemblage approach within the print medium.
History & Provenance
Created during the height of mid‑century American experimentation with printmaking, the piece reflects Millman’s broader engagement with figurative abstraction. The monotype is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, situating it among other works that document the era’s diverse artistic practices.
Artist & collection
Artist
Edward Millman (January 1, 1907 – February 11, 1964) was an American painter. His work is in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the Whitney Museum of American Art.
