Joseph Beuys

Untitled

1958

Not on display

Artist: Joseph Beuys 1921–1986
Medium: Oil and collage on paper
Dimensions: Support: 210 × 297 mm
frame: 680 × 525 × 39 mm
Collection: ARTIST ROOMS Tate and National Galleries of Scotland
Acquisition: ARTIST ROOMS Acquired jointly with the National Galleries of Scotland through The d'Offay Donation with assistance from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and the Art Fund 2008
Reference: AR00642

Online caption

This work was made in oil paint on architectural paper. The background of horizontal and vertical lines printed on the paper contrasts sharply with the artist's brushstrokes. The coldness of the printed lines jars against the richness and warmth of the oil paint. Just as with his later sculptural works, Beuys's drawings of the late 1950s were an exploration of form and material. As an artist, he was always interested in bringing together opposing elements in his work and exploring the properties of the materials he used.