Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Roberto Matta. It dates from 1947 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Some figures have long limbs stretching into strange shapes, while others blend into the background.
This sketch looks like a chaotic mix of people and machines tangled together. The lines are loose and wobbly, almost like someone doodled fast. Some figures have long limbs stretching into strange shapes, while others blend into the background.
The artist scribbled in the corner—just "Matta '47"—so this was made in 1947. The whole thing feels like a dream where everything is both real and impossible at once.
If you like this wild style, check out the technique: lithography.
Overview
Roberto Matta’s 1947 lithograph, titled Untitled, belongs to a small portfolio that mixes five etchings—including one engraving—and two lithographs. Executed in the post‑war period, the work exemplifies Matta’s engagement with Surrealist visual language, presenting a dense network of forms that suggest both organic and mechanical elements. The piece is part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Subject & Meaning
The image unfolds as a tangled assemblage of elongated figures and machine‑like structures, their contours wavering as if drawn in haste. The composition evokes a dreamscape where human and technological forms merge, reflecting Matta’s interest in the subconscious and the tension between rational order and irrational imagination.
Technique & Style
Created through lithography, the work relies on a greasy drawing on stone that transfers ink to paper, allowing Matta to render fluid, spontaneous lines. The loose, sketch‑like quality of the marks, combined with overlapping planes, underscores the artist’s preference for dynamic, interlocking shapes that resist clear delineation.
History & Provenance
Matta signed the lower corner with “Matta ’47,” confirming its date of production. The lithograph entered the Museum of Modern Art’s collection as part of its effort to document mid‑century Surrealist printmaking, and it remains catalogued within the museum’s holdings of Matta’s graphic work.
Artist & collection
Artist
Roberto Antonio Sebástian Matta-Echaurren (Spanish: ; November 11, 1911 – November 23, 2002), usually known simply as Matta, also as Sebastián Matta or Roberto Matta, was one of Chile's best-known painters and figures…
