Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Rufino Tamayo. It dates from 1959 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1959, this untitled lithograph by Mexican artist Rufino Tamayo is part of the collection at the Museum of Modern Art. The work presents a solitary female figure within an interior space, rendered in a simplified, graphic manner that emphasizes shape and color over realistic detail.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure is a woman standing in a room, dressed in a light dress, dark stockings, and a wide-brimmed hat. She holds a small object in her clasped hands, her posture suggesting contemplation or restraint. The sparse setting—a blue wall, a pinkish corner, and a dark chair—focuses attention on the figure’s isolated presence.
Technique & Style
Executed as a lithograph, the image relies on bold, non‑naturalistic colors and flat, simplified facial features. The line work is loose and sketch‑like, giving the impression of a rapid drawing. This graphic approach aligns with Tamayo’s interest in merging modernist abstraction with figurative elements.
History & Provenance
The lithograph was produced in 1959, a period when Tamayo was expanding his practice beyond painting into printmaking. It entered the Museum of Modern Art’s collection, where it remains on view, reflecting the institution’s commitment to mid‑twentieth‑century Mexican modernism.
Artist & collection
Artist
Rufino del Carmen Arellanes Tamayo was a Mexican painter of Zapotec heritage, born in Oaxaca de Juárez, Mexico. Tamayo was active in the mid-20th century in Mexico and New York, painting figurative abstraction with surrealist influences.
