Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a watercolor drawing by Maria Lassnig. It dates from 1996 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
The artist signed it in the corner with the date—April 10, 1996—and the word "Galizianica.
This sketch shows a hand covering a face, leaving just one eye visible. The lines are loose and quick, like a sketchpad doodle. The background is a flat, bright yellow, while the rest is mostly white.
The artist signed it in the corner with the date—April 10, 1996—and the word "Galizianica." That’s not a typo; it’s a nod to her own style of self-portraiture.
Want to see more? Check out Maria Lassnig.
Overview
Created in 1996, this work by Austrian artist Maria Lassnig combines watercolor and pencil on paper. The composition features a single hand that obscures most of a face, leaving only one eye exposed. A flat, vivid yellow field forms the backdrop, while the drawing itself is rendered in loose, gestural lines that suggest an informal sketch.
Subject & Meaning
The gesture of covering the face while revealing an eye evokes Lassnig’s ongoing investigation of bodily perception. By limiting the facial expression to a solitary eye, the piece invites viewers to contemplate the tension between concealment and visibility, echoing the artist’s interest in how the body registers internal sensations.
Technique & Style
Lassnig employs a rapid, sketch‑like application of pencil, overlaid with translucent watercolor washes. The contrast between the bright yellow background and the predominantly white paper accentuates the immediacy of the drawing. The signature, placed in the lower corner, includes the date “April 10, 1996” and the term “Galizianica,” a personal reference within her self‑portrait practice.
History & Provenance
Since its creation, the drawing has entered the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, where it is catalogued as an untitled piece. The work reflects a period when Lassnig was actively teaching at the University of Applied Arts Vienna, a role she held from 1980 until her death in 2014.
Context
Lassnig’s oeuvre is marked by a focus on “body awareness,” a concept she explored through numerous self‑portraits that foreground internal feeling over external appearance. This drawing, with its minimal yet expressive gesture, aligns with that broader artistic inquiry, situating the piece within her late‑career investigations of perception and identity.
Artist & collection
Artist
Maria Lassnig (8 September 1919 – 6 May 2014) was an Austrian artist known for her painted self-portraits and her theory of "body awareness".
