Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Heinrich Nauen. It dates from 1920 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1920, this untitled print by German artist Heinrich Nauen combines etching with drypoint. Executed on paper, the work presents a modest still‑life arrangement that includes a teapot, a handful of peaches, a small bunch of grapes, and expansive foliage rendered in bold linear strokes. The piece belongs to the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
Subject & Meaning
The composition gathers ordinary domestic objects—a teapot and fruit—against a backdrop of large, vein‑marked leaves. By juxtaposing the smooth ceramic form with the textured foliage, the image invites contemplation of everyday materiality and the interplay between cultivated objects and natural growth, a theme recurrent in Nauen’s still‑life oeuvre.
Technique & Style
Nauen employed traditional etching to define the overall layout, then added drypoint to intensify line work and create richer, velvety shadows. The resulting marks are both loose and deliberate, allowing the surface to convey the teapot’s polished sheen while the leaves retain a sketch‑like vitality. This hybrid approach reflects the artist’s expressionist sensibility.
History & Provenance
Heinrich Nauen, noted for his contributions to German Expressionism across media such as oil painting, watercolor, mural, and mosaic, produced this print during a period when his focus shifted toward intimate still‑lifes. The work entered the Museum of Modern Art’s collection, where it remains part of the institution’s holdings of early 20th‑century prints.
Artist & collection
Artist
Heinrich Nauen (1 June 1880 – 26 November 1940) was a German Expressionist artist. He created oils, watercolors, and prints; as well as murals and mosaics. A large part of his output consists of landscapes and floral still-lifes.
