Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Yasuo Kuniyoshi. It dates from 1920 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created around 1920, this woodcut by Yasuo Kuniyoshi is part of the Museum of Modern Art’s collection. The composition presents two figures seated together at a table, rendered in flat, bold planes of blue, red, and black. Simple geometric shapes and sharply edged background blocks give the image a stage‑like quality, while the inscription “Katherine + Yasuo” appears in the lower corner.
Subject & Meaning
The work depicts an intimate domestic scene: one figure holds a small object, perhaps a cup, while the other leans slightly toward them. The proximity of the two characters and the minimal setting suggest a personal interaction, possibly referencing the artist’s relationship with his wife, whose name is included in the corner inscription.
Technique & Style
Executed as a hand‑carved woodcut, the print bears the characteristic roughness of incised lines and textured edges. The artist employed a limited palette of primary colors and black, allowing flat color fields to define form rather than modeling through shading. This approach emphasizes the graphic quality of the medium and reinforces the theatrical, staged atmosphere of the scene.
History & Provenance
The piece dates to the early 1920s, a period when Kuniyoshi was exploring printmaking alongside his painting practice. It entered the Museum of Modern Art’s holdings through acquisition, where it remains on view as an example of his early experimental work in woodcut and his interest in personal subject matter.
Artist & collection
Artist
Yasuo Kuniyoshi was a Japanese-American painter, photographer and printmaker.
