Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a paint painting by the Impressionist artist McClure, M. L.. It dates from 1901 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. Created in 1901, this watercolor and gold work by M.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1901, this watercolor and gold work by M. L. McClure records a fragment of a medieval liturgical vestment. The piece reproduces a section of red silk embroidered with gold thread, originally part of a garment preserved in Halberstadt Cathedral, Germany. McClure’s study captures the intricate pattern and dimensions of the vestment’s sleeve, serving as a detailed visual reference.
Subject & Meaning
The central motif consists of a circular gold‑thread compartment enclosing a stylized feline figure, interpreted as a lion or leopard, a common emblem in medieval ecclesiastical art. Repeated across the vestment, the motif is interlaced with scrollwork, reflecting the symbolic and decorative language of 12th‑ to 13th‑century church textiles.
Technique & Style
McClure employed transparent watercolor washes to render the red silk background, while applying fine gold leaf to imitate the original embroidery’s metallic threads. Precise line work outlines the animal figure and surrounding scrolls, achieving a balance between documentary accuracy and artistic rendering.
History & Provenance
The vestment fragment depicted dates to the mid‑13th century and is attributed to Palermitan artisans, as noted in a handwritten inscription accompanying McClure’s study. The original textile remains in the collection of Halberstadt Cathedral, where it continues to be displayed as part of the cathedral’s medieval holdings.
Context
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, scholars and artists frequently produced detailed copies of medieval artifacts to aid research and preservation. McClure’s work fits within this tradition, providing a portable visual record of a liturgical object that would otherwise be accessible only in situ.
Artist & collection
Artist
M. L. McClure kept a studio above a butcher shop in Chicago, where the smell of meat loaf drifted up through the floorboards while they painted. They used a palette knife more than a brush, scraping away at layers of…
