Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a gouache drawing by Pavel Tchelitchew. It dates from 1935 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Pavel Tchelitchew's 1935 drawing, Untitled, is a gouache on paper work that exemplifies his surrealist style. It is part of The Museum of Modern Art's collection.
Subject & Meaning
The drawing depicts four figures in a dimly lit, blue-toned interior scene. The figures' blank faces and stiff poses create a sense of detachment, while the old, heavy furniture and a framed waterfall picture on the wall add to the scene's stillness and ambiguity.
Technique & Style
Tchelitchew employed gouache to achieve a flat, pale color palette, giving the work a sketch-like quality. The figures' unnatural poses and lack of facial detail contribute to the overall sense of unease and detachment.
Context
As a surrealist artist, Tchelitchew explored the realm of the irrational and the dreamlike. Untitled reflects his interest in abstraction and the manipulation of form, characteristic of surrealist works.
Artist & collection
Artist
Pavel Fyodorovich Tchelitchew ( Che-LIT-chev; Russian: Па́вел Фёдорович Чели́щев) (3 October 1898 – 31 July 1957) was a Russian-born surrealist painter, set designer and costume designer.
