Who painted Untitled?

Untitled was painted by Othmar Schimkowitz.

Where can I see Untitled?

Untitled is held by Victoria and Albert Museum.

Artwork

Untitled

Untitled is a photographic photography by Othmar Schimkowitz. It is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. The work is a black‑and‑white photograph mounted on a green card, documenting a small marble sculpture of a putto.

About this work

Overview

The work is a black‑and‑white photograph mounted on a green card, documenting a small marble sculpture of a putto. The image captures the figure with its arms uplifted, set against a darker decorative background, highlighting the contrast between the light‑toned statue and its surroundings. The photograph is part of a larger archival collection focused on early twentieth‑century sculpture.

Subject & Meaning

The sculpted figure is a cherubic putto, characterized by curly hair, a flowing robe, and an upward‑raised gesture that suggests innocence or celestial aspiration. Such motifs were common in classical and neoclassical traditions, where the putto often symbolized divine love or the presence of a higher spirit within a decorative program.

Technique & Style

The photograph presents the sculpture with clear tonal contrast, emphasizing the smooth, lightly colored surface of the marble against a darker backdrop. The lighting accentuates the delicate folds of the robe and the curvature of the figure’s limbs, rendering a sense of refined elegance typical of academic sculpture of the period.

History & Provenance

The image entered the museum’s holdings through the 1938 bequest of William Kineton Parkes, a novelist, art historian, and librarian noted for his research on sculpture. In the 1920s Parkes collected responses to questionnaires sent to contemporary sculptors; this photograph is one of the visual submissions he received and later archived.

Context

Parkes’s questionnaire project aimed to document current sculptural practice in Britain, providing a snapshot of artistic trends between the wars. The inclusion of a putto reflects the continued popularity of classical allegory in the era’s public and private commissions, linking the work to broader neoclassical revival movements.

Artist & collection

Artist

Othmar Schimkowitz

Othmar Schimkowitz spent his life turning glassblowing into a quiet rebellion. By day he ran a small studio in southern Austria; by night he melted down yesterday’s rejects into something new. His photographs catch the…