Does a Painting Need a Title?

When you look at a painting in an exhibition, do your eyes go to the canvas first… or to the little label hanging next to it? Often we do both at once! And that brings me to a very simple question: does a painting really need a title?

The title, a little way in

A title is a bit like a helping hand. It gives a clue, a mood, sometimes a place. When you read “Pôr do Sol no São Julião” (sunset at São Julião), you immediately think of a sunset over a beach, and you look at the colours differently.

For someone who doesn't quite dare to step into an abstract work, the title helps a lot. It reassures, it opens the conversation. In fact, people often ask me the title of a painting: proof that it matters!

And what about “Untitled”?

Many artists choose the opposite and say nothing. “Untitled”, or simply a number. It is a way of leaving all the room to you. No clue, no imposed story, just you and the canvas.

It is a lovely freedom too. Everyone can see the sea, a city, an emotion, a memory… and nobody is wrong.

When the title changes the way we look

Try it: look at a painting without reading its title, then read it. Often something shifts. A shape becomes a face, a patch of colour becomes a sun. A title can open a door, but it can also close others.

That is why there is no right or wrong answer. It all depends on what the artist wants to share, and on what you want to receive.

And for me?

For me, choosing a title is sometimes obvious… and sometimes a real puzzle!

It can come from the emotion of the moment, as with “La Vie Est Belle” (life is beautiful). From a travel memory: “Antelope Canyon”, “Kyoto, Kyoto”, “NYC”. From music I listen to while painting: “West Side Story”, “Requiem”, or the 70s hits for my Pop series. From a date too: “Lilou”, painted on the day Lilou was born, the granddaughter of a very dear friend. From a singer I love, with “Léonard”. From my encounters with the ocean: “Golden Hour”, “Infinite Blue”, “Fiery Silence”. Or from sunsets, with “Solstice” and “Pôr do Sol no São Julião”.

In short, it isn't always easy… but it often is, all the same!

So, does a painting need a title? For me, yes! I know all of mine by heart. It's a bit like giving a name to a baby you have just given life to.

And you?

When you look at a painting, do you read the title before or after? Has a title ever changed your mind about a canvas? Tell me on WhatsApp, I would love to read you.

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With all my friendship,

Lenon B

Contemporary painter, Ericeira, Portugal