Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a watercolor print by Kiki Smith. It dates from 2006 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
The image presents a solitary female figure, rendered with delicate pencil lines, and integrates subtle color washes to modulate tone and atmosphere.
Created in 2006, this work by Kiki Smith is a lithograph enhanced with watercolor and painted elements. It resides in the collection of The Museum of Modern Art. The image presents a solitary female figure, rendered with delicate pencil lines, and integrates subtle color washes to modulate tone and atmosphere. The combination of print and hand-applied media gives the piece a tactile, intimate quality distinct from standard printed works.
Subject & Meaning
The figure is a woman with downcast eyes and parted lips, her expression suggesting introspection or quiet resignation. Her long hair and bangs frame the face without ornamentation, emphasizing stillness over narrative. A single branch, emerging from the upper right, introduces a natural element that neither interrupts nor resolves the figure’s solitude. The composition invites contemplation rather than interpretation, avoiding symbolic clarity in favor of emotional resonance.
Technique & Style
Smith layered lithographic printing with hand-applied watercolor and paint, allowing the ink to bleed slightly and the paper to absorb pigment unevenly. The gradient background—soft blue fading to pale pink—was likely brushed in, enhancing the sense of ambient light. The pencil drawing remains visible beneath the washes, preserving the immediacy of the initial mark while the added color deepens spatial and emotional nuance.
History & Provenance
The work was produced in 2006 and entered The Museum of Modern Art’s collection shortly thereafter. It belongs to a series of prints from this period in which Smith explored the human form through intimate, non-narrative compositions. No prior ownership or exhibition history beyond institutional acquisition is documented, suggesting its significance emerged primarily through its inclusion in the museum’s program.
Context
This piece aligns with Smith’s broader interest in the body, vulnerability, and the natural world during the early 2000s. While her earlier works often addressed trauma or biological processes, this lithograph reflects a shift toward quieter, more meditative imagery. The integration of organic forms and subdued color echoes contemporaneous trends in contemporary printmaking that favored emotional restraint over overt symbolism.
Legacy
The work contributes to Smith’s evolving exploration of the female figure as a site of quiet presence rather than dramatic expression. Its inclusion in MoMA’s collection affirms its place within a generation of artists redefining print media through hybrid techniques. Though not widely reproduced, it remains a representative example of her late-career focus on stillness, material subtlety, and the interplay between drawing and color.
Artist & collection
Artist
Kiki Smith is a German-born American artist whose work has addressed the themes of sex, birth and regeneration.
