Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a graphite drawing by Morgan Russell. It dates from 1914 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created around 1914, this untitled pencil drawing by Morgan Russell is part of the Museum of Modern Art’s collection. Executed on paper, the work consists of a single sheet of graphite marks that capture an architectural fragment in a spontaneous manner.
Subject & Meaning
The composition depicts a modest building with a sharply angled roof and an adjoining smaller structure. The simplified forms suggest a study of spatial relationships rather than a narrative scene, inviting viewers to consider the basic geometry of built environments.
Technique & Style
Russell employed loose, uneven lines, varying pressure to produce a range of tones from light gray to darker strokes. The drawing lacks hatching or elaborate detail, emphasizing immediacy and the gestural quality of a quick sketch rather than a finished rendering.
History & Provenance
The piece dates to the early years of Russell’s career, a period when he was experimenting with abstraction and architectural motifs. It entered the Museum of Modern Art’s holdings through acquisition, where it remains on view as an example of his early graphic work.
Artist & collection
Artist
Morgan Russell was a modern American artist. With Stanton Macdonald-Wright, he was the founder of Synchromism, a provocative style of abstract painting that dates from 1912 to the 1920s. Russell's "synchromies," which…
![Study for "Shoeing Calvary Horses at the Front" [verso], by John Singer Sargent](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/john-singer-sargent--study-for-shoeing-calvary-horses-at-the-front-verso--6f6d1a163e84e9ab-w320.webp)
