Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a tempera drawing by Norah Borges de Torre. It dates from 1935 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art. Created in 1935, this tempera drawing on paper presents a minimalist scene of two barefoot children.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1935, this tempera drawing on paper presents a minimalist scene of two barefoot children. Rendered in flat, unmodulated color, the figures stand against a plain gray‑white backdrop, their simple garments—yellow and pale pink—contrasting with the muted walls. The composition emphasizes shape and line over narrative detail.
Subject & Meaning
The work depicts a pair of children in a quiet, everyday moment: one holds a blank white mask, gazing downward, while the other leans on a broom and looks straight ahead. The stark simplicity of their poses and the absence of contextual clues invite contemplation of childhood, anonymity, and the act of observation.
Technique & Style
Executed in tempera, an egg‑based medium known for its quick drying time and vivid, flat color fields, the drawing showcases smooth, uniform surfaces and precise line work. The artist’s use of limited tonal variation and restrained detail aligns with the modernist tendencies of the 1930s Argentine avant‑garde.
History & Provenance
The piece was produced by Norah Borges de Torre, an Argentine visual artist and critic linked to the Florida group, a collective that promoted modernist ideas in the 1930s. The drawing entered the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, where it remains part of the institution’s holdings.
Context
Borges de Torre worked within a circle of writers and artists who sought to integrate international modernist currents into Argentine culture. Her familial connection to the celebrated writer Jorge Luis Borges situates her within a broader literary and artistic milieu that valued experimentation and interdisciplinary exchange.
Artist & collection
Artist
Leonor Fanny "Norah" Borges Acevedo (March 4, 1901 – July 20, 1998), was an Argentine visual artist and art critic, member of the Florida group, and sister of the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges.
