Untitled (Envelope Composition)
1981
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
softground etching and aquatint in dark brown and gray and black on buff paper
Dimensions
plate: 14.5 x 27.8 cm (5 11/16 x 10 15/16 in.) sheet: 52.2 x 41 cm (20 9/16 x 16 1/8 in.)
Classification
Portfolio
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Joshua P. Smith
Accession Number
2004.155.6.5
Art Historical Context
Miguel Cervantes' *Untitled (Envelope Composition)* (1981) is a example of late 20th-century printmaking, showcased the National Gallery of Art's collection. Created as part of a portfolio—likely a series exploring innovative compositions—this untitled work draws its subtitle from an "envelope" form, evoking geometric abstraction or spatial enclosure. Cervantes, working in the vibrant post-war American art scene, employed sophisticated intaglio techniques to produce subtle tonal depths and textures on buff paper, inviting viewers to contemplate form and shadow. The medium—softground etching c...