Artist
Carmelo Arden Quin(Uruguayan, 1913–2010)Uruguayan, 1913–2010
CultureUruguayan
Titles
- Forme Noire, no. I
- Black Form, no. I
Date1942
MediumOil on cardboard mounted on wood
Dimensions16 1/4 × 11 7/16 × 3/4 in. (41.3 × 29 × 1.9 cm)
Credit LineMuseum purchase funded by the 2013 Latin American Experience Gala and Auction, and Olive M. Jenney
Object number2014.813
Current Location
The Nancy and Rich Kinder Building
Gallery 205
On view
Explore Further
Department
Latin American ArtObject Type
This is the
earliest of six works illustrating Arden Quin’s pioneering concept of an
“autonomous painting,” free from illusionistic representation and the
traditional pictorial frame. Although entirely abstract, the burlap circle in
the upper right and the triangles on the lower left suggest an anthropomorphic,
mask-like eye and “teeth,” or “claws,” thus dialoguing with Torres-García’s Forma anímica entrecruzada. Arden Quin
met Torres-García in 1938 and was inspired by the master’s Constructive
Universalist aesthetic philosophy.
ProvenanceThe artist; by descent to artist’s spouse, Buenos Aires, 2010; [Debbie Frydman Gallery, Buenos Aires]; sold to MFAH, 2014.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks
Verso, inscribed in black ink: [signature] / 1942 / MONTEVIDEO / FORME / NOIRE / 41.5 X 4 [...]
Verso, inscribed in graphite: 55 x 42
Verso, inscribed in graphite: 55 x 42
Verso, signed in black ink: Arden Quin
Verso, inscribed on white sticker: 269
Cataloguing data may change with further research.
If you have questions about this work of art or the MFAH Online Collection please contact us.
Carlos Cruz-Diez
February, 1961
Cardboard (Celloderme) casein (Plaka) mounted on plywood with painted wood frame and aluminum strip frame
2005.322
Antonio Berni
1963
Wood, paint, industrial trash, cardboard, scrap metal, leather, and fabric on wood
2007.1167
Carlos Cruz-Diez
February, 1961
Cardboard, casein (Plaka) on plywood inserted in wood with aluminum strip frame
2005.323
Derek Fordjour
2022
Acrylic, charcoal, cardboard, oil pastel and foil on newspaper mounted on canvas
2022.190
Eduardo Ramírez Villamizar
1956
Oil on paper mounted on board
2022.151