Untitled (Skull)
1981
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
soft-ground etching and aquatint on buff paper
Dimensions
image: 27.3 x 24.4 cm (10 3/4 x 9 5/8 in.) sheet: 52 x 41.5 cm (20 1/2 x 16 5/16 in.)
Classification
Portfolio
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Joshua P. Smith
Accession Number
2004.155.5.5
Art Historical Context
Untitled (Skull) is a striking 1981 print by Mexican-American artist Miguel Cervantes, created soft-ground etching and aquint on buff paper. Measuring 27.3 x 24.4 cm (image) on a larger 52 x 41.5 cm sheet, this work captures a skull motif with the nuanced textures and tonal depths characteristic of these intaglio techniques. Soft-ground etching allows for soft, velvety lines by pressing textured materials onto a softened ground, while aquatint produces rich, painterly shades through resin dust and acid bites—methods that Cervantes employs to evoke a haunting, introspective quality. Produced d...