Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Jean Dubuffet. It dates from 1968 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Inside the red, there’s a face with wide eyes and a grin, surrounded by wavy, almost scribbled shapes.
This print is loud and messy. A big, red blob fills most of the space, with black lines cutting through it like jagged cracks. Inside the red, there’s a face with wide eyes and a grin, surrounded by wavy, almost scribbled shapes. The colors are flat—red, black, white, and a touch of blue—with no shading or depth.
The text on the right side names the artist, *Jean Dubuffet*, and mentions a gallery show from 1968. The words are drawn in the same rough, uneven style as the rest of the image.
Want to see more work like this? Check out lithography.
Overview
Created in 1968, this lithograph by French artist Jean Dubuffet presents a bold, graphic composition dominated by a large red mass intersected by stark black lines. The work is rendered in flat areas of red, black, white and a hint of blue, lacking any modeling or gradation, and includes a stylized facial expression within the red field.
Subject & Meaning
Within the chaotic surface, a face with wide eyes and a grin emerges, surrounded by irregular, scribble‑like shapes. The juxtaposition of the crude facial motif and the jagged cracks suggests a playful yet confrontational exploration of raw human expression, consistent with Dubuffet’s interest in unrefined, instinctive imagery.
Technique & Style
Executed as a lithograph, the piece employs the medium’s capacity for bold, flat color fields and sharp line work. Dubuffet’s hand‑drawn lettering on the right side mirrors the irregularity of the image, reinforcing the overall aesthetic of spontaneity and deliberate roughness.
History & Provenance
The print was produced during a prolific period for Dubuffet, who was then associated with the École de Paris and actively promoting his art brut philosophy. The inscription on the right references a 1968 gallery exhibition, situating the work within that year’s public display of his prints.
Context
Dubuffet’s art brut movement championed the value of untutored creativity, rejecting conventional standards of beauty. This lithograph exemplifies that ethos through its unapologetically raw visual language, aligning with his broader practice of incorporating unconventional materials and subject matter.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jean Philippe Arthur Dubuffet (French pronunciation: ; 31 July 1901 – 12 May 1985) was a French painter and sculptor of the École de Paris (School of Paris).
