Robert Motherwell Art
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.
20th Century Abstract Expressionist Robert Motherwell Art
Mixed Media
20th Century Robert Motherwell Art
Ink
1960s Abstract Expressionist Robert Motherwell Art
Charcoal, Acrylic
1970s Abstract Expressionist Robert Motherwell Art
Acrylic, Board
1980s Abstract Expressionist Robert Motherwell Art
Charcoal, Acrylic
20th Century Robert Motherwell Art
Paper, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Robert Motherwell Art
Charcoal, Oil Crayon, Oil Pastel, Oil, Spray Paint, Acrylic
2010s Bauhaus Robert Motherwell Art
Ink, Acrylic, Watercolor
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Robert Motherwell Art
Canvas, Charcoal, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Expressionist Robert Motherwell Art
Gesso, Charcoal, Varnish, Ink, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Robert Motherwell Art
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
Early 2000s Abstract Expressionist Robert Motherwell Art
Canvas, Acrylic, Oil, Cardboard
1950s Abstract Expressionist Robert Motherwell Art
Paper, Ink
1990s Abstract Expressionist Robert Motherwell Art
Acrylic, Charcoal, Paper, Pencil
2010s Abstract Expressionist Robert Motherwell Art
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Robert Motherwell Art
Canvas, Charcoal, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Expressionist Robert Motherwell Art
Lacquer, Charcoal, House Paint, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Expressionist Robert Motherwell Art
Gold
1970s Minimalist Robert Motherwell Art
Aquatint, Etching
1980s Robert Motherwell Art
Lithograph
1980s Robert Motherwell Art
Lithograph
1980s Abstract Expressionist Robert Motherwell Art
Color, Etching
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Artists Similar to Robert Motherwell
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Robert Motherwell was a part of the art movement called Abstract Expressionism. Artists who participated in the movement sought to express emotions through abstract forms. You'll find a range of Robert Motherwell art from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.
- How did Motherwell paint?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Robert Motherwell painted using techniques borrowed from action and color field painting. He sometimes dipped thinned paint right onto the canvas. In other works, he soaked paints into an unprimed work surface. Find a variety of Robert Motherwell art on 1stDibs.