Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Pierre Courtin. It dates from 1947 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Pierre Courtin’s 1947 print, untitled, is an engraving executed with a roulette tool. The work resides in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art. Its composition consists of stark, interlaced silhouettes rendered in black against a light ground, creating a sense of tension through contrasting line weight and fragmented forms.
Subject & Meaning
The image presents two contorted, shadowy shapes that intertwine, their outlines sharp and their interiors hollow, suggesting ambiguous, perhaps tormented figures. No explicit narrative is provided, leaving interpretation open to the viewer’s perception of the unsettling, almost confrontational presence of the forms.
Technique & Style
Courtin employed a roulette—a small, toothed wheel—to incise jagged lines into the plate, producing a texture of uneven, spiky strokes. The variation between thick and thin lines, combined with the stark monochrome palette, emphasizes the work’s graphic intensity and its exploration of line as both structure and expression.
History & Provenance
Created shortly after World War II, the print entered the Museum of Modern Art’s holdings, where it remains part of the institution’s print and drawing collection. Its acquisition reflects MoMA’s mid‑20th‑century interest in experimental printmaking techniques.
Context
The late 1940s saw a resurgence of interest in intaglio processes among European artists, who explored abstraction and existential themes through graphic media. Courtin’s use of the roulette aligns with contemporaneous experiments that sought to push the boundaries of line and texture in print.
Artist & collection
