Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a gouache drawing by Oscar Domínguez. It dates from 1937 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Oscar Domínguez’s untitled work, executed in 1937, is a paper drawing produced through a decalcomania process using gouache. The piece belongs to the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, where it is displayed as an example of the artist’s experimental approach to abstraction during the late 1930s.
Technique & Style
The image was created by spreading gouache on a surface, then pressing paper onto the wet pigment and lifting it, a method known as decalcomania. This transfer technique yields unpredictable, organic marks that combine smooth washes with gritty textures, emphasizing chance and the physicality of the medium rather than representational detail.
Visual Description
The composition consists of a dense field of irregular, black‑and‑white forms that appear to merge, split, and overlap. Some areas are glossy and fluid, while others are rough and torn at the edges, producing a sense of controlled disorder that invites the eye to navigate the chaotic arrangement of shapes.
Provenance
Since its creation, the work has remained in the public domain through acquisition by the Museum of Modern Art. Its presence in the museum’s holdings reflects Domínguez’s role in the development of Surrealist and abstract practices, and it continues to be referenced in studies of mid‑twentieth‑century experimental drawing.
Artist & collection
Artist
Óscar M. Domínguez was a Spanish-born French surrealist painter, commercial artist, tapestry designer, graphic artist, illustrator, photographer, sculptor and textile artist.
