Who painted Untitled?

Untitled was painted by Richard Long in 1972.

Where can I see Untitled?

Untitled is held by Museum of Modern Art.

Artwork

Untitled

Richard Long , 1972

Untitled is an ink print by Richard Long. It dates from 1972 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.

About this work

The lines feel like a map or a record of movement, but it’s all abstract—no real place, just shapes.

This image shows simple black lines on a white background. There’s a big circle, a spiral, a long slanted line, and a few short dashes. Some lines have dates like 1970, 1971, and 1972 written next to them. In the top corner, there’s a tiny photo of hills with the words *Dartmoor Walks* and *1972*.

The dates and the hill photo hint this might be about walking routes or steps taken over time. The lines feel like a map or a record of movement, but it’s all abstract—no real place, just shapes.

If you like this, check out lithography to see how prints like this are made.

Overview

Richard Long’s *Untitled* (1972) is a printed work combining screenprint and lithographic techniques, produced via offset printing. It belongs to a body of work that translates his land-based performances into two-dimensional form. The piece is held in the collection of The Museum of Modern Art and reflects Long’s broader practice of documenting physical movement through minimal visual language.

Subject & Meaning

The composition features abstract linear elements—circle, spiral, diagonal stroke, and dashes—accompanied by dates and a small photograph of Dartmoor hills. These elements suggest a record of walking routes undertaken between 1970 and 1972. The image functions not as a literal map but as a symbolic trace of time, distance, and bodily motion, reducing landscape experience to essential marks.

Technique & Style

Using screenprint and lithography, Long employed offset printing to achieve clean, flat black lines on white paper. The style is reductive, favoring geometric simplicity and typographic precision. The inclusion of handwritten dates and a miniature photograph introduces a documentary quality, grounding the abstraction in personal, real-world activity without literal representation.

History & Provenance

Created in 1972, the work emerged from Long’s early period of integrating walking as both artistic method and subject. It entered The Museum of Modern Art’s collection as part of its broader acquisition of conceptual and land art from the 1970s. The print reflects his transition from sculptural interventions in nature to mediated representations of those experiences.

Context

Long’s work emerged alongside the rise of conceptual and land art in the late 1960s and early 1970s, challenging traditional art objects by emphasizing process and ephemeral actions. His use of maps, dates, and minimal marks aligned with a broader interest in systems of recording and the body’s relationship to geography, distinct from purely formalist approaches.

Legacy

This print exemplifies Long’s enduring influence on how movement and place are represented in contemporary art. By transforming transient walks into static, legible forms, he expanded the possibilities of printmaking as a medium for conceptual documentation. His approach continues to inform artists working at the intersection of performance, geography, and minimalism.