Robert MotherwellShem the Penman #191983
1983
About the Item
- Creator:Robert Motherwell (1915-1991, American)
- Creation Year:1983
- Dimensions:Height: 10 in (25.4 cm)Width: 14 in (35.56 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU262212625222
Robert Motherwell
The name of painter, printmaker and writer Robert Motherwell (1915–91) is often taken as synonymous with the New York School, whose name he coined. Motherwell was the youngest of this group of Abstract Expressionists working in art, dance, poetry and music in 1950s and '60s New York City, which included Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Philip Guston, Helen Frankenthaler and Mark Rothko.
Born in Aberdeen, Washington, in 1915, Motherwell had perhaps the broadest and best education of any of the New York School coterie, with an extensive background in philosophy, literature and art history. He earned a BA in philosophy in 1937 from Stanford University and was working toward a PhD in the subject at Harvard when he interrupted his studies for a yearlong trip to Europe, where he fell in love with European modernism.
After returning, in 1940 he enrolled Columbia to study art history. It was there that he met a group of exiled Parisian Surrealists, and encounter that proved influential on his style. Motherwell began to integrate the idea of “automatism” — unmediated gestures that reflect deeper psychological impulses — into his work, pioneering a new form of Abstract Expressionism that came to characterize the New York School.
Works like the 1967 Beside the Sea no. 45, an acrylic on canvas, and the 1966 lithograph New York International epitomize Motherwell’s use of simple shapes in boldly contrasting colors, executed in quick, gestural strokes that occasionally evoke figures, suggesting a latent narrative despite their obvious abstraction.
Throughout his career, Motherwell taught painting at Hunter College, in New York, and at Black Mountain College, in North Carolina, where his work influenced the likes of Cy Twombly, Robert Rauschenberg and Kenneth Noland. His influence as one of the founding fathers of American Abstract Expressionism remains profound.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: London, United Kingdom
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- Open #125: JeannieBy Robert MotherwellLocated in London, GBRobert Motherwell Open #125: Jeannie 1969 Acrylic and charcoal on canvasboard 76.2 x 50.8 cms (30 x 20 ins) RM9796 P532 The title of this painting refers to Motherwell's elder daugh...Category
1960s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings
MaterialsCanvas, Charcoal, Acrylic
- The StudioBy Robert MotherwellLocated in London, GBRobert Motherwell The Studio 1987 Acrylic and charcoal on canvas 152.4 x 182.9 cms (60 x 72 ins) RM13966 P1140 When Motherwell made The Studio, in 1987, he was nearing the end of an...Category
1980s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings
MaterialsCharcoal, Acrylic
- Open Untitled (Yellow)By Robert MotherwellLocated in London, GBRobert Motherwell Open Untitled (Yellow) 1981 Acrylic and charcoal on canvas 30.5 x 40.6 cms (12 x 16 ins) RM10045 P1019 Recto upper left: RM Verso not signed,not dated Artist's stu...Category
1980s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings
MaterialsCharcoal, Acrylic
- Great Wall of China No. 4By Robert MotherwellLocated in London, GBRobert Motherwell (1915-1991) Great Wall of China No. 4 1971 Acrylic and charcoal on canvas 152.4 x 101.6 cms (60 x 40 ins) RM10101 P617 This work is part of the artist's Great Wall of China series, of which there are only five paintings, all of which are in private hands. Painted on a traditionally primed canvas, it is an exploration of the tension between foreground and background. The U-shaped forms in this series of paintings are closely related to the paintings in Motherwell's Open series of which there are a greater number of paintings and drawings. Great Wall of China series refer to a Franz Kafka short story about the Chinese landmark, which certainly served as a dividing line in its time, and perhaps also to contemporaneous events involving China, such as Henry Kissinger...Category
1970s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings
MaterialsCharcoal, Acrylic
- Untitled (Open in Yellow, Black and Blue)By Robert MotherwellLocated in London, GBRobert Motherwell Untitled (Open in Yellow, Black and Blue) 1970 Acrylic and charcoal on canvas board 25.4 x 61 cms (10 x 24 ins) RM9819 P588 Signed lower right (recto) Artist's studio number P74-290 Provenance: Dedalus Foundation, New York...Category
1970s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings
MaterialsCharcoal, Acrylic
- Shem the Penman #18By Robert MotherwellLocated in London, GBRobert Motherwell Shem the Penman #18 1983 Acrylic and charcoal on canvas 25.4 x 35.5 cms (10 x 13 3/4 ins) RM10044 P1068 Signed upper left and on reverse. Provenance: Dedalus Foun...Category
1980s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings
MaterialsCharcoal, Acrylic
- Black UnicornBy Mark WilsonLocated in Brooklyn, NYThe artist constructs his spirit animal through mixed media. 48" x 60" Spray Paint, Oil, Construction Paper, Acrylic, Pastel, MarkerCategory
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings
MaterialsCharcoal, Oil Crayon, Oil Pastel, Oil, Spray Paint, Acrylic
- Untitled 12-119Located in Crested Butte, COOriginal abstract Acrylic Painting on Canvas, affixed to Windsor Newton paper. The moods and whims of nature influence the work of Sarah Van Beckum. D...Category
2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings
MaterialsCanvas, Charcoal, Acrylic, Archival Paper
- Untitled 12-120Located in Crested Butte, COOriginal abstract Acrylic Painting on Canvas, affixed to Windsor Newton paper. The moods and whims of nature influence the work of Sarah Van Beckum. D...Category
2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings
MaterialsCanvas, Charcoal, Acrylic, Archival Paper
- Untitled 12-115Located in Crested Butte, COOriginal abstract Acrylic Painting on Canvas, affixed to Windsor Newton paper. The moods and whims of nature influence the work of Sarah Van Beckum. D...Category
2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings
MaterialsArchival Paper, Canvas, Charcoal, Acrylic
- "Lizard Brain" - Abstract Expressionist Mixed Media Painting 2022Located in San Diego, CAAn original, fine art, abstract expressionist painting, "Lizard Brain" combines vibrant teal, turquoise, and red paint with neutral cream, beige, white and black. Up-cycled paper, dr...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings
MaterialsPaper, Charcoal, Crayon, Acrylic, Graphite
- "The Waltz of Id and Ego" - Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Painting 2022Located in San Diego, CAA contemporary painting in an abstract expressionist style, "The Waltz of Id and Ego" features gestural acrylic brushstrokes and mixed media markings in soothing shades of green, pink, terra-cotta, cream and white. It is an original, fine art painting created in 2022 by abstract artist Kara Greenwell. Sophisticated creamy white blends with pumpkin, teal and salmon acrylic hues with energetic rust, black and teal drips and charcoal and graphite marks. The artist continued the painting extending around the edges of this gallery wrapped canvas, ensuring visual interest from all angles. Measuring 24 inches by 48 inches, this landscape-oriented abstract painting is the perfect modern statement piece for above a couch, table or console. The painting can be hung a nail or picture hook...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings
MaterialsCharcoal, Crayon, Acrylic, Graphite