Join The Collection to save, track, and explore works like this.

Kara Walker — Untitled
Kara Walker

Untitled

2012

Two large-scale charcoal panels present sweeping, densely layered scenes of racial violence and subjugation rooted in the antebellum American South, rendered in Walker's signature high-contrast black-and-white aesthetic. Silhouetted figures engage in acts of brutality and submission across tumultuous, almost theatrical landscapes, blurring the boundaries between victim and perpetrator. The diptych format amplifies the narrative's tension, drawing the viewer into an unsettling confrontation with the psychological and historical weight of slavery and its enduring legacy.

Medium
charcoal on paper, diptych
Dimensions
Signed
Yes

Notes

Execution: Executed in 2012. Exhibition History: New York, Sikkema Jenkins & Co.,

🔨 Auction Lot

Modern & Contemporary Art

February 28, 2026

Estimate: $15,000$20,000

Sold: $18,060

Lot 126

Start the Discussion

Request access to join the discussion

About this work

Kara Walker, Untitled, 2012

Two large-scale charcoal panels present sweeping, densely layered scenes of racial violence and subjugation rooted in the antebellum American South, rendered in Walker's signature high-contrast black-and-white aesthetic. Silhouetted figures engage in acts of brutality and submission across tumultuous, almost theatrical landscapes, blurring the boundaries between victim and perpetrator. The diptych format amplifies the narrative's tension, drawing the viewer into an unsettling confrontation with the psychological and historical weight of slavery and its enduring legacy.

Medium
charcoal on paper, diptych
Dimensions
53.7 x 27.6 cm
Year
2012
Signed
Hand-signed by the artist
Seen at
Phillips, New York, London, Hong Kong

Related themes

Dark Monochromatic, Charcoal Drawing, Contemporary Artist, Historical Narrative, Racial Identity Theme, American Artist, Figurative Art, Works on Paper, Black Female Artist, Diptych Format, Silhouette Style

More works by Kara Walker