Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an oil painting by the Contemporary Abstract artist Ellsworth Kelly. It dates from 1986 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1986, this three‑panel oil work by American artist Ellsworth Kelly presents a stark arrangement of geometric forms. Each canvas is painted in a single, unmodulated hue—bright orange, deep black, and vivid green—set against a neutral wall. The piece is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art and exemplifies Kelly’s focus on pure color and shape.
Subject & Meaning
The composition consists of three elementary shapes: an orange triangle on the left, a black triangle in the centre, and a green diamond on the right. Rendered without any shading or detail, the forms appear to hover independently, emphasizing the visual impact of colour and silhouette rather than narrative content.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil on canvas, the panels display Kelly’s characteristic hard‑edge approach, where edges are crisp and colours are applied in flat, uniform fields. The work aligns with the Color Field and minimalist traditions, rejecting illusionistic depth in favour of a direct, surface‑based experience.
History & Provenance
Since its completion, the painting has remained within the contemporary abstract movement’s institutional sphere, entering the Museum of Modern Art’s holdings. Kelly, who lived and worked in Spencertown, New York, produced the piece during a period of sustained exploration of geometric abstraction.
Artist & collection
Artist
Ellsworth Kelly (May 31, 1923 – December 27, 2015) was an American painter, sculptor, and printmaker associated with hard-edge painting, Color field painting and minimalism.
