Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Jacob Lawrence. It dates from 1997 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Though untitled, the print captures a moment of motion and tension, reflecting Lawrence’s enduring interest in human agency and cultural symbolism.
Created in 1997, this screenprint by Jacob Lawrence is part of his later body of work, continuing his lifelong engagement with narrative imagery. Though untitled, the print captures a moment of motion and tension, reflecting Lawrence’s enduring interest in human agency and cultural symbolism. Produced using the screenprinting technique, it aligns with his commitment to accessible, reproducible art that reaches broad audiences.
Subject & Meaning
The image portrays a lone rider on a galloping horse, armed with bow and arrow, moving through tall grass beneath a stormy sky. While not tied to a specific historical event, the figure evokes archetypes of strength and movement—possibly referencing Indigenous horsemanship, African diasporic resilience, or mythic heroism. Lawrence’s choice of subject avoids literal storytelling, instead inviting contemplation of power, freedom, and endurance.
Technique & Style
Lawrence employed bold, flat planes of color and sharp outlines characteristic of his graphic style. The screenprint technique allowed for crisp contrasts between the rider’s red headband, the horse’s dark mane, and the deep background. Clean, unmodulated shapes and rhythmic lines convey motion without realism, drawing from modernist abstraction while retaining narrative clarity rooted in African and Mesoamerican visual traditions.
History & Provenance
This print was made during Lawrence’s tenure as a professor at the University of Washington, where he taught for over a decade. It entered the collection of The Museum of Modern Art shortly after its creation, affirming its place within the institutional recognition of his late career. Unlike his earlier series, this work stands alone, reflecting a more distilled, symbolic approach to his recurring themes.
Context
In the 1990s, Lawrence returned to themes of movement and identity, often revisiting figures from earlier works with renewed abstraction. This print emerged amid broader cultural conversations about representation and heritage, yet it resists didacticism. His imagery, while rooted in African-American experience, speaks to universal motifs of travel, struggle, and vitality, continuing his legacy of visual storytelling beyond specific historical narratives.
Legacy
Lawrence’s screenprints, including this one, expanded access to his visual language beyond painting. His synthesis of modernist form and cultural narrative influenced generations of artists working in print and illustration. This work, though less widely exhibited than his Migration Series, exemplifies his consistent commitment to conveying dignity and dynamism through simplified, powerful imagery.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jacob Armstead Lawrence (September 7, 1917 – June 9, 2000) was an American painter known for his portrayal of African-American historical subjects and contemporary life.
