Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an oil painting by the American Impressionist artist Maurice Grosser. It dates from 1942 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Maurice Grosser’s 1942 oil on canvas, catalogued simply as Untitled, is part of the Museum of Modern Art’s collection. The work presents a modest, weather‑worn wooden house, its paint flaking and porch sagging, set against a sparse landscape.
Subject & Meaning
The scene captures a slice of everyday life: a faded sign reading “666 COLD” and “TONIC” hangs above the doorway, a lone figure sits on the porch steps while another stands in the entryway, and mismatched chairs lean against the wall. The composition emphasizes the quiet persistence of ordinary moments.
Technique & Style
Grosser employs a loose, gestural handling of paint, allowing thick impasto to convey the texture of the house’s wood and peeling surface. The brushwork varies between dense, tactile strokes on the structure and smoother passages in the background, creating a contrast that heightens the sense of materiality.
History & Provenance
Created during the early 1940s, the painting entered the Museum of Modern Art’s holdings at an unspecified date, where it remains on view as an example of mid‑century American genre painting.
Context
The work reflects a broader interest among American artists of the period in depicting domestic and roadside architecture, often as a commentary on the resilience of everyday environments amid the social upheavals of World War II.
Artist & collection
