Who painted Untitled?

Untitled was painted by Jean-Luc Verna in 2002.

Where can I see Untitled?

Untitled is held by Museum of Modern Art.

Artwork

Untitled

Jean-Luc Verna , 2002

Untitled is a graphite drawing by Jean-Luc Verna. It dates from 2002 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.

About this work

The painting is a transfer drawing with colored pencil on a book page, created by French artist Jean-Luc Verna in 2002.

This painting depicts a person with dark, curly hair and large wings, holding their head in their hands. The person's face is obscured by their hair, and their arms are raised to cover their head. The background of the painting is a light color, with some darker shading around the person's body.

The person's wings are large and feathered, with a light color on the inside and a darker color on the outside. The wings are spread out to the sides, giving the impression that the person is about to take flight.

The painting is a transfer drawing with colored pencil on a book page, created by French artist Jean-Luc Verna in 2002. It is held at The Museum of Modern Art. To learn more about the artist's use of transfer drawing, look up Jean-Luc Verna.

Overview

Created in 2002 by French artist Jean-Luc Verna, this drawing is executed as a transfer drawing with colored pencil on a found book page. It is part of the collection at The Museum of Modern Art. The work combines reproductive technique with hand-applied color, transforming an existing printed surface into a new visual narrative. Its intimate scale and material choice reflect a quiet, contemplative approach to image-making.

Subject & Meaning

The figure depicted has dark, curly hair and large, feathered wings, its face hidden beneath its own strands. Arms raised, the figure appears to be shielding or burying its head, suggesting introspection or emotional withdrawal. The wings, though expansive, do not convey motion but rather a suspended state—neither grounded nor flying. The imagery evokes themes of isolation, burden, or inner turmoil, without offering explicit narrative resolution.

Technique & Style

Verna used a transfer method to reproduce an image onto a page from a printed book, then enhanced it with colored pencil. The background retains traces of the original text and texture, integrating literary remnants into the visual field. Wings are rendered with subtle gradations—light inner feathers contrasted against darker outer edges—while the figure’s form is softly modeled, avoiding sharp definition. The technique merges mechanical reproduction with manual intervention.

History & Provenance

The work was completed in 2002 and entered the collection of The Museum of Modern Art shortly thereafter. It is one of several drawings by Verna that repurpose printed matter as support, reflecting his interest in the materiality of books and the layering of meaning. No prior exhibition or ownership history beyond the artist and the museum is publicly documented.

Context

Verna’s practice emerged in the early 2000s alongside a broader interest in drawing as a primary medium, distinct from painting or sculpture. His use of book pages aligns with contemporary artists exploring found materials and the cultural weight of printed text. The figure’s ambiguous posture resonates with postmodern themes of identity and vulnerability, though the work resists symbolic codification.

Legacy

Though not widely exhibited, this drawing contributes to a quieter strand of contemporary drawing that privileges material specificity and psychological nuance over grand gesture. It exemplifies how everyday objects—like discarded book pages—can become carriers of personal and poetic resonance. Verna’s approach continues to influence artists working at the intersection of text, image, and intimate scale.