Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Wayne Thiebaud. It dates from 1987 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
This 1987 woodcut by Wayne Thiebaud presents a vibrant, stylized depiction of a cityscape, characterized by bold, blocky forms and a distinctive color palette.
Subject & Meaning
Contrary to Thiebaud's typical focus on everyday objects like pastries, this work shifts attention to an urban landscape, interpreting skyscrapers and city elements through his unique aesthetic lens. A small figure on a green dome/hill grounds the scene, hinting at human scale within the metropolis.
Technique & Style
Executed using the woodcut technique, the piece features flat, graphic lines and colors, inherent to the medium's carved-and-stamped process. Thiebaud's signature style, marked by saturated hues and simple yet expressive forms, is distinctly applied to the cityscape.
History & Provenance
Created in 1987, the work is part of The Museum of Modern Art's collection. While Thiebaud's emergence in the 1950s slightly precedes the Pop Art movement, his emphasis on everyday subjects (albeit atypical here) aligns with Pop Art's themes.
Context
Thiebaud's broader oeuvre includes still lifes and landscapes marked by thick impasto and careful composition, primarily in painting. This woodcut, with its urban theme and inherent graphic quality, offers a fascinating contrast within his body of work.
Legacy
As part of MoMA's collection, this woodcut contributes to the institutional recognition of Thiebaud's diverse contributions to American art, bridging his early emergence with later explorations like this cityscape.
Artist & collection
Artist
Wayne Thiebaud ( TEE-boh; born Morton Wayne Thiebaud; November 15, 1920 – December 25, 2021) was an American painter known for his colorful works depicting commonplace objects—pies, cakes, lipsticks, paint cans, ice…
