Who painted Untitled?

Untitled was painted by Solomon Telingater in 1931.

Where can I see Untitled?

Untitled is held by Museum of Modern Art.

Artwork

Untitled

Solomon Telingater , 1931

Untitled is a print by Solomon Telingater. It dates from 1931 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.

About this work

Overview

Untitled is a 1931 letterpress‑printed pamphlet produced by Soviet graphic designer Solomon Telingater. Executed as a single‑page print, the work juxtaposes a stark black‑and‑white photograph of an open hand with typographic material placed above the image. The composition exemplifies the Constructivist interest in merging visual and textual elements to convey information efficiently.

Subject & Meaning

The central image shows a close‑up of a hand, palm upward, fingers splayed, rendered in high‑contrast monochrome. The skin’s texture and the play of light emphasize the physicality of the gesture, while the surrounding text—written in a non‑Latin script and referencing a name and the city of Berlin—suggests a documentary or communicative purpose rather than narrative illustration.

Technique & Style

Printed by letterpress, the pamphlet employs the crisp, mechanical quality typical of early 20th‑century Soviet graphic production. Telingater’s use of bold black photography alongside clean, sans‑serif typography reflects Constructivist principles of functional design, where image and type are treated as equal components of a unified visual statement.

History & Provenance

Created shortly after Telingater co‑founded the October group, the pamphlet was likely circulated within avant‑garde circles or as part of a public information campaign. While the original distribution context remains unclear, the piece now resides in collections documenting Soviet graphic experimentation of the interwar period.

Context

The work emerges from a period when Soviet artists embraced Constructivism to serve ideological and practical aims, prioritising clarity, speed of communication, and the integration of industrial production methods. Telingater’s background—born in Tbilisi in 1903 and later working in Baku—situated him at the crossroads of regional artistic networks that fed into the broader Soviet visual culture.