Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a charcoal drawing by Norman Lewis. It dates from 1952 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
You see a tangle of black lines on white paper—some thick, some thin, some scribbled, some sharp.
Lewis made this in 1952, when abstract art was mostly white men. He was Black, and his work often carried quiet rhythms of jazz or city life. Here, the lines feel like music you can almost hear.
To see how other artists used ink, look up the technique cross-hatching.
Overview
Created in 1952, this drawing consists of charcoal and ink applied to paper, forming a dense network of lines that vary in thickness and intensity. The composition is dominated by stark black marks against a white background, generating a sense of movement and tension through intersecting strokes and scribbles.
Subject & Meaning
While the work remains non‑representational, its rhythmic line work evokes the pulse of urban environments and the improvisational quality of jazz, reflecting the artist’s engagement with Black city life and its social dynamics. The tangled forms suggest an underlying narrative of struggle and vitality without depicting specific figures.
Technique & Style
The piece employs a combination of charcoal’s broad, velvety marks and ink’s precise, linear qualities. Varied line weights and cross‑hatching create depth, while the contrast between smudged areas and sharp edges highlights the artist’s control over both gestural and deliberate drawing methods, aligning with abstract expressionist practices.
History & Provenance
The drawing was produced by an African‑American and Bermudian artist active in the mid‑twentieth‑century abstract expressionist movement. It entered the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, where it is retained as part of the institution’s holdings of post‑war American art.
Artist & collection
Artist
Norman Wilfred Lewis (July 23, 1909 – August 27, 1979) was an American painter, scholar, and teacher.
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