Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a gouache drawing by Silvia Bächli. It dates from 2010 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 2010, this gouache drawing by Swiss artist Silvia Bächli presents an arrangement of hands extending upward. Rendered in muted grays and whites with subtle darker tones on the left, the composition conveys a sense of weightlessness through its soft, flowing lines.
Subject & Meaning
The work depicts a cluster of hands rendered without bodies, their elongated forms suggesting gestures of reaching or aspiration. The absence of defined edges and the ethereal quality of the strokes invite contemplation of gesture as a universal, abstract signifier.
Technique & Style
Bächli employed gouache, a water‑based opaque pigment, allowing the colors to merge seamlessly while retaining a matte finish. The artist’s use of loose, wavy lines and gradual tonal shifts creates a dreamlike surface where the forms appear to hover on the paper.
History & Provenance
Born in 1956, Bächli has been a faculty member at the Academy of Fine Arts in Karlsruhe since 1993, known for her contributions to contemporary painting and drawing. This particular piece entered the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, where it is held as part of their contemporary drawing holdings.
Artist & collection
Artist
Silvia Bächli (born 1956) is a Swiss visual artist, photographer, and educator. She works primarily in painting and drawing. She has taught art at the Academy of Fine Arts, Karlsruhe (German: Staatliche Akademie der…
