Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a gouache drawing by Kerry James Marshall. It dates from 2004 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 2004, this drawing by Kerry James Marshall combines crayon, charcoal, gouache, and pencil on paper to depict an intimate moment between two figures.
Created in 2004, this drawing by Kerry James Marshall combines crayon, charcoal, gouache, and pencil on paper to depict an intimate moment between two figures. It is part of the permanent collection at The Museum of Modern Art. Marshall, who has lived and worked primarily in Chicago, often centers Black subjects in his practice, exploring personal and cultural narratives through quiet, detailed compositions.
Subject & Meaning
The drawing portrays a couple in a tender embrace, the woman’s head resting on the man’s shoulder. Their attire—a suit and striped dress—suggests formality, yet the scene feels personal. Surrounding them are floral motifs, hearts, and the word 'LOVE' inscribed below, not as decoration alone, but as an affirmation of domestic affection. The imagery resists stereotypes by centering Black intimacy as both ordinary and significant.
Technique & Style
Marshall layers graphite and charcoal for soft tonal gradients, while gouache adds opaque highlights and crisp outlines. Crayon introduces subtle texture to skin and fabric, and pencil fine-tunes details like the folds of clothing and the contours of the landscape. The composition balances realism with symbolic elements—floating hearts and a floral wreath—blending naturalism with emotional allegory.
History & Provenance
The work entered The Museum of Modern Art’s collection shortly after its creation. It reflects Marshall’s broader practice of the early 2000s, during which he increasingly focused on intimate, non-narrative scenes of Black life. Unlike his large-scale paintings, this piece is intimate in scale and medium, suggesting a more private exploration of love and presence.
Context
Marshall’s work emerges from his experiences growing up in Birmingham, Alabama, and South Central Los Angeles, and his later life in Chicago—a city central to his artistic development. In the early 2000s, he was teaching at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he engaged deeply with questions of representation. This drawing aligns with his effort to insert Black figures into visual traditions that historically excluded them.
Legacy
This drawing contributes to a sustained body of work that redefines the visibility of Black subjects in art. By embedding tenderness within a formal, almost emblematic structure, Marshall challenges the absence of Black intimacy in mainstream visual culture. Its inclusion in MoMA’s collection affirms its role in expanding the canon of contemporary drawing beyond traditional boundaries.
Artist & collection
Artist
Kerry James Marshall (born October 17, 1955) is an American artist and professor, known for his paintings of Black figures.
