Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an oil painting by the Abstract Expressionist artist Hyman Bloom. It dates from 1940 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1940, this oil on canvas by Hyman Bloom belongs to the abstract expressionist period of his career. The work is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, where Bloom first achieved institutional recognition in the early 1940s.
Subject & Meaning
The composition depicts a bustling interior filled with figures clad in white and blue robes, some topped by tall hats. Central to the scene are two men at a red‑cloth‑covered table, each holding a large, red volume edged in gold, suggesting a ceremonial or ritual gathering.
Technique & Style
Bloom employs a richly layered palette of reds, golds, blues, and whites, rendering intricate details that convey movement and texture. The oil medium allows for luminous surfaces and a dense, almost tactile quality characteristic of his synthesis of figurative and abstract elements.
History & Provenance
The painting entered MoMA’s holdings after the museum’s 1942 exhibition "Americans 1942—18 Artists from 9 States," which also led to the acquisition of two additional works by Bloom. Its presence in the collection reflects the institution’s early support of his emerging reputation.
Context
Bloom’s visual language draws on his Lithuanian‑Jewish background and an interest in Eastern religious motifs, while also echoing the dramatic chiaroscuro of Grünewald, the tonal depth of Rembrandt, and the emotive brushwork of Soutine. These influences converge in the painting’s ceremonial atmosphere.
Artist & collection
Artist
Hyman Bloom (March 29, 1913 – August 26, 2009) was a Lithuanian-born American painter.
