Untitled (from Untitled 1972)

Untitled (from Untitled 1972) by Jasper Johns, executed between 1975 and 1976, is a seminal drawing classified under the postwar American art movement. Created using pastel and graphite on gray Japanese paper, this work exemplifies Johns’s continuous engagement with abstract systems and repetitive visual structures during the mid-1970s. While drawing is often a preparatory medium, Johns frequently elevated it to a primary form, exploring texture and density separate from his output in painting and sculpture. This particular piece derives its name from a complex series of works Johns developed starting around 1972, characterized by intense, interwoven patterns that marked a significant aesthetic shift away from his earlier flag and target iconography.

The technique employed is meticulously controlled. Johns utilized the subtle texture, or tooth, of the gray Japanese paper to build rich, opaque layers of pastel and graphite. The primary visual motif is the close, parallel lines applied in systematic cross-hatching, which became a signature element of Johns’s stylistic language during the period spanning roughly 1951 to 1975 and the ensuing decade. These highly controlled, overlapping lines negate traditional notions of perspective or figurative subject matter, focusing the viewer’s attention entirely on the materiality and process of mark-making. The dense application of media achieves an overall tonality that oscillates between stark graphic definition and soft, atmospheric diffusion, demonstrating Johns’s nuanced command over dry media.

This period of intense structural exploration allowed Johns to further investigate the conceptual boundaries between abstraction and representation. Though thoroughly non-objective, the precise structure of the cross-hatching implies a controlled system, akin to a pre-defined pattern or code. The drawing showcases the sustained formal innovation that cemented Johns’s reputation as one of the most influential figures in modern American art. This important work, known simply as Untitled (from Untitled 1972), resides in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art, where high-quality prints and related documentation ensure the piece’s lasting accessibility.