Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Susan Rothenberg. It dates from 1986 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Susan Rothenberg produced this 1986 lithograph as part of her ongoing investigation into forms that hover between figuration and abstraction.
Susan Rothenberg produced this 1986 lithograph as part of her ongoing investigation into forms that hover between figuration and abstraction. Though best known for equine subjects, this work abandons clear representation, focusing instead on the physicality of mark-making. The image emerges through dense, gestural strokes drawn directly onto a lithographic stone, then transferred to paper. Its presence in MoMA’s collection reflects its significance within post-1970s American printmaking.
Subject & Meaning
No identifiable figure or object is present. The composition resists narrative or symbolic interpretation, offering instead a field of dynamic, overlapping lines that suggest motion without direction. Rothenberg’s intent appears rooted in the act of drawing itself—its urgency, spontaneity, and material trace—rather than in depicting something external. The work invites attention to the energy embedded in the hand’s movement.
Technique & Style
Executed as a lithograph, the image was drawn with greasy materials directly onto a limestone surface, exploiting the chemical repulsion between oil and water during printing. Rothenberg employed rapid, irregular strokes, building areas of heavy ink saturation alongside fragile, fading lines. The resulting texture emphasizes the tactile quality of the medium, with contrasts between thick, smudged marks and delicate, eroded edges defining the composition.
History & Provenance
Created in 1986, this lithograph belongs to a series Rothenberg made during a period of formal experimentation beyond her earlier horse imagery. It entered The Museum of Modern Art’s collection shortly after its production, affirming its place in the institutional recognition of printmaking as a vital medium for contemporary artists. No prior ownership or exhibition history beyond MoMA’s acquisition is widely documented.
Context
In the mid-1980s, Rothenberg was shifting away from representational motifs toward more abstract expressions, aligning with broader trends in American art that valued process over pictorial clarity. Her lithographs from this time engaged with the physical limits of the medium, echoing the expressive gestures of Abstract Expressionism while retaining the constraints of printmaking’s reproducible structure.
Legacy
This work exemplifies Rothenberg’s contribution to expanding the possibilities of printmaking in contemporary art. By prioritizing gesture and materiality over legible form, she challenged traditional expectations of lithography as a tool for reproduction. Her approach influenced later artists exploring abstraction through direct, bodily mark-making in print media.
Artist & collection
Artist
Susan Charna Rothenberg (January 20, 1945 – May 18, 2020) was an American contemporary painter, printmaker, sculptor, and draughtswoman.
