Embedded in the surface of Untitled [black painting with portal form] is a sheet of newspaper printed with the foreign exchange rates for Monday, October 8, 1951, various news stories, and advertisements, one of which is clearly dated October 9, 1951. Although it is possible that Rauschenberg was working with clippings scavenged from old newspapers, these dates may indicate that he began the painting in fall 1951, some months earlier than reflected in the current date of the artwork. Additional information about the dating of the Black paintings may be found in the essays on Untitled [black painting with portal form] and Untitled [glossy black painting].