Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a gouache drawing by Vasyl Yermilov. It dates from 1927 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
" If you like this style, check out gouache to see how artists use it for bright, opaque colors.
This painting is all sharp edges and bold colors. On the left, a tall red stripe sits next to three black circles stacked in a white box. To the right, three blue rectangles line up like steps. Below, a yellow square with a half-circle inside it sits next to two green stripes.
The artist used flat colors and clean lines to make it feel almost like a puzzle. The signature in the corner says "V. Yermilov" and the year "1927."
If you like this style, check out gouache to see how artists use it for bright, opaque colors.
Overview
Created in 1927, this untitled work by Vasyl Yermilov combines gouache and pencil on paper. The piece is part of the Museum of Modern Art’s collection and is classified as a drawing despite its painterly use of opaque color.
Subject & Meaning
The composition consists of geometric forms arranged in a stark, puzzle‑like configuration. A vertical red band abuts a white rectangle containing three black circles, while a series of blue rectangles step upward on the right. A yellow square with a semicircular cutout sits beside two green vertical bars, suggesting a balance of primary hues and simple shapes.
Technique & Style
Yermilov employs flat, saturated gouache washes alongside precise pencil lines, creating crisp edges and a uniform surface. The limited palette of primary colors and the emphasis on geometric abstraction reflect the constructivist tendencies prevalent in the late 1920s.
History & Provenance
The drawing was produced during a period of intense experimentation in Soviet avant‑garde art. After changing hands through private collections, it entered the Museum of Modern Art’s holdings, where it remains on view as part of the institution’s modernist drawing archive.
Context
In the late 1920s, Yermilov was associated with the Constructivist movement, which advocated for art that served functional and industrial purposes. This work’s emphasis on clear, mechanical forms and its avoidance of narrative align with that ideological framework.
Artist & collection
Artist
Vasyl Dmytrovych Yermylov was a Ukrainian painter, avant-garde artist and designer. His genres included cubism, constructivism, and neo-primitivism. Yermylov was one of the founders on avantgarde in Ukraine.
