Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a graphite drawing by George Condo. It dates from 2003 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 2003, this untitled work is a pencil drawing on paper by American artist George Condo (b. 1957). It resides in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art. The piece presents a portrait of a man wearing a pointed hat with a wide brim, rendered in a fragmented, geometric manner that invites close inspection.
Subject & Meaning
The figure’s face is dissected into angular planes, scattering the eyes, nose and mouth across the composition. This fragmentation, coupled with the hat’s formal silhouette, suggests a tension between elegance and psychological disassembly, encouraging viewers to contemplate the inner state of the sitter.
Technique & Style
Condo employs bold, confident lines and graduated shading to generate depth within the flat paper surface. The geometric segmentation of facial features reflects his interest in cubist-derived abstraction, while the meticulous pencil work preserves a tactile, hand‑drawn quality.
History & Provenance
The drawing entered MoMA’s holdings shortly after its creation, becoming part of the museum’s contemporary drawing collection. It remains on view as an example of Condo’s early‑2000s practice, which spanned painting, sculpture and printmaking alongside drawing.
Context
Condo, active in New York City, is known for merging classical portraiture with contemporary distortion. This work aligns with his broader oeuvre that interrogates identity through exaggerated, fragmented forms, situating the piece within ongoing dialogues about representation in late‑20th‑century American art.
Artist & collection
Artist
George Condo (born 1957) is an American visual artist who works in painting, drawing, sculpture, and printmaking. He lives and works in New York City.
