Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Álvaro Barrios. It dates from 1980 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
This image shows a simple green-and-white drawing of a man tied to a rock, being shot with arrows.
This image shows a simple green-and-white drawing of a man tied to a rock, being shot with arrows. The scene is set outdoors with scattered stones and flowers around him. The title above reads *"El Martirio de San Sebastián"* in bold letters.
This print was made as part of a project asking people to invent their own stories of martyrdom. The artist, Álvaro Barrios, created six similar images in 1980.
Check out lithography to see how this kind of print was made.
Overview
Created in 1980, this untitled work consists of a series of six photolithographs by Colombian artist Álvaro Barrios. One of the prints is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art. The image presents a stark, green‑and‑white composition that references a classic martyrdom motif, yet the work is deliberately anonymous in title.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts a solitary figure bound to a stone, his body pierced by arrows, surrounded by scattered rocks and a few flowers. Above the scene, the words “El Martirio de San Sebastián” appear in bold lettering, invoking the traditional Christian narrative of Saint Sebastian while inviting viewers to consider contemporary reinterpretations of suffering and sacrifice.
Technique & Style
Executed as a photolithograph, the image combines photographic detail with the flat, graphic qualities of lithographic printing. The limited palette of green and white emphasizes line and contrast, while the repetitive, almost diagrammatic rendering of the arrows and stones underscores the work’s conceptual focus on narrative construction rather than painterly effect.
History & Provenance
Barrios produced the six prints as part of a 1980 project that asked participants to devise their own stories of martyrdom. The series was subsequently acquired by several institutions; one example entered the Museum of Modern Art’s collection, where it remains on view as part of the museum’s modern print holdings.
Context
The project emerged during a period when artists were interrogating historical iconography and the mechanisms of storytelling. By prompting audiences to invent martyr narratives, Barrios linked personal imagination with collective memory, situating the work within broader dialogues about the role of myth in contemporary visual culture.
Artist & collection
