Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink drawing by Marcel Jean. It dates from 1935 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
One arm holds a feather or a long strand of hair, and the whole scene looks like a sketch made with quick, dark lines.
This drawing shows a strange, upside-down figure with a long neck and arms reaching up. The body is twisted like a knot, with a clock dangling from the middle. One arm holds a feather or a long strand of hair, and the whole scene looks like a sketch made with quick, dark lines.
The artist signed it in 1935, and the words below might be French for something like "repair in the desert." The clock and the tangled pose feel dreamlike, almost like a puzzle.
If you like this weird, inventive style, look up Marcel Jean.
Overview
Untitled is a 1935 drawing by Marcel Jean, a French artist associated with the Surrealist movement. Created with ink on paper, it is part of The Museum of Modern Art's collection in New York City.
Subject & Meaning
The drawing depicts a distorted, inverted figure with a long neck and arms, featuring a clock suspended from its twisted body. The scene is rendered in quick, dark lines, evoking a dreamlike atmosphere. The artist's inscription suggests a cryptic message, possibly referencing 'repair in the desert'.
Technique & Style
Jean's use of ink on paper results in a sketch-like quality, with bold, expressive lines defining the figure's contorted form. The drawing's style is characteristic of Surrealist experimentation, blending the irrational and the fantastical.
History & Provenance
Marcel Jean created Untitled in 1935, a year that situates the work within the early period of his involvement with Surrealism, which he joined in 1933. The drawing has been part of The Museum of Modern Art's collection.
Artist & collection
Artist
Marcel Jean (1900 in La Charité-sur-Loire, France - 4 December 1993 in Louveciennes, France) was a French painter, writer, and sculptor who joined the surrealist movement in 1933.
