Who painted Untitled?

Untitled was painted by Tomas Schmit in 1963.

Where can I see Untitled?

Untitled is held by Museum of Modern Art.

Untitled by Tomas Schmit (1963) — Meaning & Museum

About this work

Overview

The jar’s interior is filled with a chaotic assemblage of torn paper, crumpled matchbook fragments, cigarette butts and ash.

Created in 1963 by German artist Tomas Schmit, this untitled work consists of a clear glass jar positioned on its side. The jar’s interior is filled with a chaotic assemblage of torn paper, crumpled matchbook fragments, cigarette butts and ash. The lid bears handwritten text that reads “poem V ‘shake well before reading!’” and the artist’s name with the date. The piece is catalogued as a print and belongs to the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.

Subject & Meaning

The work juxtaposes everyday detritus—paper scraps, burnt matchbooks, and smoking remnants—with a handwritten instruction that suggests a poetic reading ritual. By presenting these discarded objects in a sealed container, Schmit foregrounds themes of consumption, ephemerality, and the transformation of mundane materials into a contemplative assemblage, inviting viewers to consider the residue of daily life as a form of visual text.

Technique & Style

Schmit employs a ready‑made approach, selecting a glass jar as a transparent vessel and arranging found objects within it. The handwritten label on the lid functions as a typographic element, merging text and object. The overall aesthetic aligns with the Fluxus and conceptual art practices of the early 1960s, emphasizing process, materiality, and the blurring of art and ordinary objects.

History & Provenance

The piece was produced in 1963 and entered the Museum of Modern Art’s collection at an unspecified date, where it remains on view. Its acquisition reflects MoMA’s commitment to documenting the experimental practices of post‑war European artists and the development of object‑based conceptual works.

Context

During the early 1960s, Schmit was active in the European avant‑garde, engaging with Fluxus networks and exploring the boundaries between performance, print, and object. The jar’s contents echo the era’s fascination with everyday materials and the dematerialization of the art object, situating the work within broader dialogues about the role of the artist as a collector and arranger of cultural debris.

Artist & collection

Artist

Tomas Schmit

Tomas Schmit was an artist and author associated with the Fluxus movement of the early 1960s and created during the subsequent 40 years a multi-layered work that comprises drawings, editions, theoretical texts and artists books.

Museum

Museum of Modern Art

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