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.
Green Gauloises
By Robert Motherwell
Located in London, GB
Acrylic, graphite and printed paper collage on board 42.6 x 36.8 cms (16 3/4 x 14 1/2 ins) This is the only collage in which Motherwell used a green package from Gauloises Caporal D...
Mixed Media
Norway
By Robert Motherwell
Located in London, GB
54.9 x 56.5 cms (21.6 x 22.25 ins) Edition of 50 Paper: Somerset paper Signature:Signed "RM" in pencil lower right Inscriptions:Numbered in pencil lower right Proofs:20 AP, numbered I/XX-XX/XX, 2 HC, numbered I-II, 3 PP, 1 TP, other proofs (unrecorded) Publisher:Derriere LEtoile Studios, New York, for the Sonja Henie...
Color, Lithograph
$7,176Sale Price|20% Off
The Paris Review, 122/150, circa 1965 — Robert Motherwell, Screenprint
By Robert Motherwell
Located in Santa Monica, CA
The Paris Review, circa 1965, by Robert Motherwell. Screenprint on Beckett Cartridge paper, numbered 122/150 and signed at the lower right. Published by The Paris Review, Flushing, N...
Archival Paper, Screen
Africa Suite #10
By Robert Motherwell
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Robert Motherwell (1915-1991), alongside Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Willem de Kooning, made up the quartet of abstract painters that radically defined Modern painting in Ameri...
Screen
In White with Green Stripe
By Robert Motherwell
Located in London, GB
Rober Motherwell In White with Green Stripe 1987 Lithograph, relief print, embossing and collage 86.4 x 61 cms (34 x 24 ins)
Lithograph
Monster
By Robert Motherwell
Located in London, GB
Lithograph on speckled gray HMP handmade paper 104.1 x 78.7 cms (41 x 31 ins) Edition of 26
Lithograph
Basque Suite
By Robert Motherwell
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Robert Motherwell (1915-1991), alongside Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Willem de Kooning, made up the quartet of abstract painters that radically defined Modern painting in Ameri...
Screen
Hollow Men Suite #3, Signed Abstract Etching with Aquatint by Robert Motherwell
By Robert Motherwell
Located in Long Island City, NY
A leading exponent of American abstract expressionism, Robert Motherwell has served as a vital spokesman for the avant-garde of the mid-twentieth century. He introduced the term "abs...
Etching, Aquatint
Africa Suite: Africa 8
By Robert Motherwell
Located in London, GB
The original studies from the 'Africa Suite' were a group of ten works selected from a series of ink-on-paper drawings from the same year. The large autom...
Screen
$11,600Sale Price|20% Off
Harvest, with Two White Stripes, 1960-1980
By Robert Motherwell
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Robert Motherwell – Harvest, with Two White Stripes 1960–1980 Medium: Lithograph on Paper Edition: 55/55 Artwork Size: 30 x 11.75 in Framed Size: 40.75 x 22.5 in Price: $14,500 Robe...
Paper
Octavio Paz Suite: Red Samurai
By Robert Motherwell
Located in London, GB
Lithograph, linoleum block print, and chine appliqué, Edition of 50 CR 435 Paper:Arches paper; Japanese Masa Dosa handmade paper Production Sequence:4 colors (including 1 colored pap...
Lithograph
Lyric Suite (Brown No. 4)
By Robert Motherwell
Located in London, GB
Ink on rice paper 27.9 x 22.9 cms (11 x 9 ins)
Ink
Lament for Lorca
By Robert Motherwell
Located in London, GB
Lithograph on white Tyler Graphics Ltd. (TGL) handmade paper 44x61 in (111.8x154.9cm) Edition of 52
Color, Lithograph
Elegy Study
By Robert Motherwell
Located in London, GB
Lithograph on Twinrocker handmade paper 1979 64.1 x 95.3 cm (25 1/4 x 37 1/2 inches)
Lithograph
$12,482
Summer sign - Modern, Expressionism, Aquatint, Light Blue, Abstract, Symbol
By Robert Motherwell
Located in Köln, DE
Aquatint in colours with carborundum "Summer Sign" by Robert Motherwell from 1990. The edition on Whatman comprises 55 copies. The present copy is monogrammed in pencil below the...
Color, Aquatint, Carborundum Etching
Robert Motherwell, Art Chicago, limited edition lithographic poster
By Robert Motherwell
Located in New York, NY
Robert Motherwell Art Chicago, 1981 Offset lithograph on wove paper Plate signed 39 × 27 1/2 inches Unframed This stunning ithographic poster was printed by Tyler Graphics Mt. Kisco...
Lithograph, Offset
Harvest, with Orange
By Robert Motherwell
Located in Toronto, Ontario
While Robert Motherwell (1915-1991) is known as one of the most important and influential artists associated with Abstract Expressionism, he is also revered for his work and promotio...
Lithograph, Screen
Game of Chance
By Robert Motherwell
Located in Calabasas, CA
Artist: Robert Motherwell Title: Game of Chance (B. 377) Year: 1987 Medium: Aquatint, lithograph and collage on HMP handmade paper Edition: 100; signed and numbered in pencil Sheet: ...
Lithograph, Mixed Media, Aquatint
Dance III (Red)
By Robert Motherwell
Located in New York, NY
Created by Robert Motherwell in 1978, Dance III (Red) is a lift-ground etching and aquatint on J.B. Green paper. Hand-signed in pencil and numbered from the edition of 50 + 10 AP in ...
Etching, Aquatint
"At the Edge", Etching and Aquatint on Handmade Paper, 1984
By Robert Motherwell
Located in Astoria, NY
Robert Motherwell (American, 1915-1991), "At the Edge", Etching and Aquatint on Auvergne a la Main Richard de Bas Handmade Paper, 1984, signed in pencil and numbered edition "30/34" ...
Handmade Paper, Etching, Aquatint
Octavio Paz Suite: Nocturne VIII
By Robert Motherwell
Located in London, GB
Lithograph and chine appliqué to Arches paper. Siri Engberg and Joan Banach 'Robert Motherwell: The Complete Prints 1940-1991. Catalogue Raisonne', Walker Art Center and Hudson Hills...
Lithograph
Altamira Elegy
By Robert Motherwell
Located in New York, NY
Created by Robert Motherwell in 1980, Altamira Elegy is an etching and aquatint on Arches paper. Hand-initialed in pencil and numbered from the edition of 75, the artwork measures 9 ...
Etching, Aquatint
Three Poems: Nocturne III, Abstract Minimalist Lithograph by Robert Motherwell
By Robert Motherwell
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Robert Motherwell, American (1915 - 1991) Title: No. 3 from Three Poems, collaboration with Octavio Paz Year: 1987 Medium: Lithograph on Japon with Chine Colle Edition: 750 I...
Rice Paper, Lithograph
Lincoln Center Mostly Mozart, 25th Anniversary - Lithograph by Robert Motherwell
By Robert Motherwell
Located in Long Island City, NY
Robert Motherwell’s vibrant red lithograph features a collage-like composition with an intense contrast of black and red on top of sheet music. Lincoln Center Mostly Mozart...
Lithograph
$5,400Sale Price|20% Off
Primal Sign I, 1979-80
By Robert Motherwell
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Robert Motherwell – Primal Sign I 1979–1980 Medium: Color Aquatint & Lift-Ground Etching on Cream Whatman Paper Edition: 38/60 Artwork Size: 23.5 x 18 in Framed Size: 34.75 x 28.25 i...
Paint
$2,850
Robert Motherwell The Bed (from the Ulysses portfolio) Signed Etching of 40
By Robert Motherwell
Located in Minneapolis, MN
Artist: Robert Motherwell Title: The Bed (from The Ulysses Portfolio) Medium: Screenprint Etching in Color on Johannot Paper Image Size: 4.375" h x 6" w Sheet Size: 13" h x 10.125" w...
Paper, Screen
Original Robert Motherwell Etching, Signed, Penelope from Ulysses 1988
By Robert Motherwell
Located in Washington, DC
Artist: Robert Motherwell Title: Penelope Medium: Etching on Johannot paper Date: 1988 Edition: 27/40 Sheet Size: 13" x 10" Image Size: 6" x 6" Signature: Initialed (RM) in pencil
Lithograph
Samurai
By Robert Motherwell
Located in London, GB
Signature: Signed "R. Motherwell" in pencil lower right Inscriptions: Numbered in pencil lower right; workshop chop mark lower right Edition: 16
Lithograph
$4,000
Robert Motherwell Gray Open with White Paint Signed Etching Edition of 79
By Robert Motherwell
Located in Minneapolis, MN
Artist: Robert Motherwell Title: Gray Open with White Paint Medium: Soft-Ground Etching and Pochoir on Gray Handmade Paper Year: 1981 Image Size: 20.5" x 26" Frame Size: 27.5" x 33" ...
Paper, Etching
$5,500
Untitled (State I), Modern Lithograph with Chine Colle by Robert Motherwell
By Robert Motherwell
Located in Long Island City, NY
Robert Motherwell, American (1915 - 1991) - Untitled (State I), Year: 1977, Medium: Lithograph with Chine Colle, signed and numbered in pencil, Edition: trial proof, Size: 7 x ...
Lithograph
America - La France Variations I
By Robert Motherwell
Located in London, GB
118.1 x 81.6 cms (46.5 x 32.1 ins) Edition of 70 Published by Tyler Graphics, New York Signed and numbered in pencil
Color, Lithograph
The Razor's Edge
By Robert Motherwell
Located in New York, NY
A superb impression of this scarce color aquatint and lift-ground etching on German Etching paper. Signed and numbered 27/36 in pencil, lower right. Printed by Catherine Mousley in t...
Color, Etching, Aquatint
Lincoln Center Mostly Mozart, 25th Anniversary, Lithograph by Robert Motherwell
By Robert Motherwell
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Robert Motherwell, American (1915 - 1991) Title: Lincoln Center Mostly Mozart, 25th Anniversary Year: 1991 Medium: Lithograph and Screenprint on ...
Lithograph, Screen
The Basque Suite #5
By Robert Motherwell
Located in New York, NY
Color screenprint on J. B. Green paper, 1970-71. Initialed by the artist and numbered 123/150 in pencil, lower right. Printed by Kelpra Studio, London. Published by Marlborough Gra...
Screen, Color
$19,124
Australian Stone - Modern, Expressionism, Collage, Aquatint, Red, Abstract
By Robert Motherwell
Located in Köln, DE
Aquatint in colours and collage "Australian Stone" by Robert Motherwell from 1983-1984. The edition on Hawthorne comprises 67 copies. This present copy is signed, inscribed and n...
Mixed Media, Color, Aquatint, Etching
London Series II (Teal)
By Robert Motherwell
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Robert Motherwell (1915-1991), alongside Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Willem de Kooning, made up the quartet of abstract painters that radically defined Modern painting in Ameri...
Screen
Untitled #1
By Robert Motherwell
Located in New York, NY
Color screenprint on JB Green paper, 1971. Signed by the artist in pencil and numbered 81/150 in pencil, lower right. With the artists blind stamp in the lower margin. Printed by K...
Screen
Flags
By Robert Motherwell
Located in New York, NY
Created by Robert Motherwell in 1989, Flags is an original lithograph with embossing on red Moriki appliqué. Hand-initialed in pencil and numbered from the edition of 68, the artwork...
Lithograph
Lyric Suite
By Robert Motherwell
Located in London, GB
Ink on rice paper 27.9 x 22.9 cms (11 x 9 ins)
Ink
America La France Variations II
By Robert Motherwell
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Robert Motherwell (1915-1991) is one of the essential American abstract painters that radically defined post-war abstraction in New York City. Today, his work appears in museum collections around the world and is instantly recognizable for its boldness and black forms. His auction record was set in 2018 at $12.6 million USD. In addition to his impressive paintings, Motherwell is also revered as a printmaker. He is one of the most innovative and prolific printmakers of the 20th century. He was always searching for new techniques, whether at his own printmaking atelier, or collaborating with others, to expand his ideas and express his aesthetic. "America-La France...
Lithograph
Paris Suite 3 (Autumn)
By Robert Motherwell
Located in London, GB
Robert Motherwell Paris Suite III (Autumn) 1980 Lithograph on J.B. Green handmade paper, Edition of 60 49.2 x 56.8 cms (19 1/2 x 22 1/2 ins) RM17035 CR 26...
Lithograph
$1,800
Robert Motherwell Lincoln Center Mostly Mozart 25th Anniversary Screen Print
By Robert Motherwell
Located in Plainview, NY
Robert Motherwell (American, 1915–1991) Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival, 25th Anniversary, 1991 Lithograph and screenprint on Coventry rag paper Edition of 800 Printer: Trest...
Screen
The Basque Suite #2
By Robert Motherwell
Located in New York, NY
A very good impression of this color screenprint on J. B. Green paper. Initialed and numbered 134/150 in pencil by Motherwell. Printed by Kelpra Studio, London. Published by Marlboro...
Color, Screen
$7,500Sale Price|25% Off
Africa Suite: Africa 9
By Robert Motherwell
Located in London, GB
The original studies from the 'Africa Suite' were a group of ten works selected from a series of ink-on-paper drawings from the same year. The large autom...
Screen
El General
By Robert Motherwell
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Robert Motherwell (1915-1991), alongside Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Willem de Kooning, made up the quartet of American abstract painters that radically defined Modern painting...
Handmade Paper, Lithograph
Elegy Fragment II
By Robert Motherwell
Located in London, GB
Aquatint, lift-ground etching and aquatint on Georges Duchene Hawthorne of Larroque handmade paper 87.6 x 61 cm (34 1/2 x 24 inches) Edition of 52
Etching, Aquatint
Samurai II
By Robert Motherwell
Located in London, GB
144.8 x 62.2 cms (57 x 24.5 ins) Edition of 49 Lithograph and chine appliqué Paper:Two joined sheets of natural Nepal handmade paper; natural Sekishu handmade paper Proofs: 1 archiv...
Color, Lithograph
Nocturne I
By Robert Motherwell
Located in New York, NY
One of three prints from the Octavio Paz Suite, Robert Motherwell's Nocturne I is a masterful work of printed art. An original lithograph created on handmade paper laid then onto Arc...
Lithograph
Paris Suite 2 (Summer)
By Robert Motherwell
Located in London, GB
Robert Motherwell Paris Suite II (Summer) 1980 Lithograph on J.B. Green handmade paper, Edition of 60 49.2 x 41 cms (19 1/2 x 16 ins) RM17034 CR 265 Sign...
Lithograph
Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart Festival - 25th Anniversary
By Robert Motherwell
Located in Aramits, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Robert Motherwell, American (1915 - 1991) Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart Festival, 25th Anniversary. Lithograph, Edition of 800, unsigned and unnumber...
Lithograph, Screen
Ulysses: The Hospital
By Robert Motherwell
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Robert Motherwell (1915-1991), alongside Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Willem de Kooning, made up the quartet of American abstract painters that radically defined abstraction and...
Etching
Paris Suite 1 (Spring)
By Robert Motherwell
Located in London, GB
Robert Motherwell Paris Suite I (Spring) 1980 Lithograph on J.B. Green handmade paper, Edition of 60 48.9 x 48.9 cms (19 1/4 x 19 1/4 ins) RM17031
Lithograph
Paroles peintes III: Untitled
By Robert Motherwell
Located in London, GB
Open-bite etching printed in dark, brownish black on fibrous Japan paper 38 x 28 cms (14 7/8 x 11 1/8 ins) Edition of 200 in three numbered segments
Etching
Irish Suite #6
By Robert Motherwell
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Robert Motherwell (1915-1991), alongside Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Willem de Kooning, made up the quartet of abstract painters that radically defined Modern painting in Ameri...
Etching
Summer Light Series: Pauillac, No.2
By Robert Motherwell
Located in London, GB
Robert Motherwell Summer Light Series: Pauillac, No.2 1973 Lithograph, screenprint, pochoir, and collage, Edition of 55 91.4 x 45.7 cms (36 x 18 ins) RM12795
Lithograph
Naples Yellow Open
By Robert Motherwell
Located in London, GB
Signature Signed "Motherwell" in pencil lower right Publisher Artist; released by Tyler Graphics Ltd., Bedford Village, New York Printer Catherine Mosley, assisted by Diana Donaldson...
Etching, Aquatint
Aberdeen Stone
By Robert Motherwell
Located in London, GB
Motherwell was already a major Abstract Expressionist painter, but he believed printmaking wasn’t secondary—it was a thinking tool. Aberdeen Stone is a great example of him using pri...
Lithograph
$4,000Sale Price|20% Off
The Berggruen Series: Untitled
By Robert Motherwell
Located in London, GB
40 x 42.2 cms (15 3/4 x 16 5/8 ins) Signature: Signed "Motherwell" in pencil lower right Inscriptions: Numbered in pencil lower right Edition: 100
Lithograph
Seaside Studio
By Robert Motherwell
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Robert Motherwell (1915-1991), alongside Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Willem de Kooning, made up the quartet of American abstract painters that radically defined abstraction and...
Etching, Aquatint
Lyric Suite
By Robert Motherwell
Located in London, GB
Ink on rice paper 27.9 x 22.9 cms (11 x 9 ins)
Ink