Skip to main content

Robert Motherwell Art

American, 1915-1991

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.

to
38
33
54
42
25
41
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
191
4
1
11
54
88
11
164
6
2
1
1
137
55
2
5
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
107
37
31
26
22
208
11,395
2,863
2,494
1,529
37
21
90
84
Artist: Robert Motherwell
Open Untitled (Yellow)

Open Untitled (Yellow)

By Robert Motherwell

Located in London, GB

Robert 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 studio no: P81-2652 Provenance: Dedalus Foundation, 1991. Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London, 2007. Exhibited: Galerie Templon, Paris, Robert Motherwell Open Series, 17 May - 21 July 2018. Literature: Hobbs, R., Kuspit, D., Mattison, R., Ostrow, S., Yau, J., Collings, M., 2009. Robert Motherwell ‘Open...

Category

1980s Abstract Expressionist Robert Motherwell Art

Materials

Charcoal, Acrylic

Great Wall of China No. 4

Great Wall of China No. 4

By Robert Motherwell

Located in London, GB

Robert 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 Robert Motherwell Art

Materials

Charcoal, Acrylic

Premonition Open, with Flesh over Grey

Premonition Open, with Flesh over Grey

By Robert Motherwell

Located in London, GB

Premonition Open, with Flesh over Grey, 1974, belongs to an extended series of works that came to be called the Opens and which came about by a happy accident. Leaning a finished can...

Category

1970s Abstract Expressionist Robert Motherwell Art

Materials

Charcoal, Acrylic Polymer, Graphite

Two Figures No. 12

Two Figures No. 12

By Robert Motherwell

Located in London, GB

Robert Motherwell Two Figures No. 12 1958 Oil on paperboard 19.1 x 24.1 cms (7 1/2 x 9 1/2 ins) RM12376 W41 Motherwell painted this work in Saint-Jean-de-Luz during the summer of 19...

Category

1950s Abstract Expressionist Robert Motherwell Art

Materials

Oil, Board

Untitled

Untitled

By Robert Motherwell

Located in London, GB

Robert Motherwell (1915-1991) Untitled 1990 Acrylic and coloured pencil on panel 40.6 x 50.8 cms (16 x 20 ins) RM13143 P1195 The composition of this painting is based on the left ...

Category

1990s Abstract Expressionist Robert Motherwell Art

Materials

Acrylic, Panel, Color Pencil

Shem the Penman #19

Shem the Penman #19

By Robert Motherwell

Located in London, GB

Robert Motherwell Shem the Penman #19 1983 Acrylic and charcoal on canvas 25.4 x 35.6 cms (10 x 14 ins) RM13642 P1069 Recto, upper left: RM Verso: R. Motherwell \ 1983 Verso (on b...

Category

1980s Abstract Expressionist Robert Motherwell Art

Materials

Charcoal, Acrylic

Open No. 126: In Beige with Blue

Open No. 126: In Beige with Blue

By Robert Motherwell

Located in London, GB

Robert Motherwell (1915-1991) Open No. 126: In Beige with Blue 1970 Acrylic on canvas 61 x 76.2 cms (24 x 30 ins) RM13967 P533 The dedication on the verso of this painting is to the artist and editor Alexander Liberman (1912-1999) and his wife Tatiana (1906-1991). Signed, titled, dated twice 1970 and inscribed Merry Xmas to Tatiana & Alex Liberman from their friend Bob Motherwell on the stretcher. Provenance: Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Liberman, New York (gift of the artist). High Museum of Art, Atlanta (gift of the above in 1991). Sotheby's New York, 14 November 2012, lot 138. Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London (acquired at the above sale). Exhibited: Galerie Templon, Paris, Robert Motherwell Open...

Category

1970s Abstract Expressionist Robert Motherwell Art

Materials

Acrylic

Paroles peintes III: Untitled

Paroles peintes III: Untitled

By Robert Motherwell

Located in London, GB

Open-bite etching printed in dark, brownish black on fibrous Japan paper. Signed "R. Motherwell," or "Motherwell" in pencil, lower right. Numbered in pencil, lower right. Paper size:...

Category

Mid-20th Century Robert Motherwell Art

Materials

Etching

America - La France variations I, 46/70 color lithograph with collage
America - La France variations I, 46/70 color lithograph with collage

America - La France variations I, 46/70 color lithograph with collage

By Robert Motherwell

Located in Three Oaks, MI

America-La France Variations I 1983-4. Lithograph in colors with collage on Tyler Graphics Ltd. handmade paper. Signed in pencil Numbered 46/70 (there were also XVIII artist’s proofs...

Category

1980s Abstract Expressionist Robert Motherwell Art

Materials

Lithograph

The Red and Black No. 52
The Red and Black No. 52

The Red and Black No. 52

By Robert Motherwell

Located in Houston, TX

Robert Motherwell's "The Red and Black No.52" is an abstract collage that incorporates oil based etching ink, pasted papers, and aquatint on paper. The piece was created between the ...

Category

1980s Modern Robert Motherwell Art

Materials

Paper, Ink, Aquatint

Study for Open Series

Study for Open Series

By Robert Motherwell

Located in London, GB

Acrylic and graphite on paper. 15.2 x 21 cms (6 x 8 1/4 ins)

Category

20th Century Robert Motherwell Art

Materials

Acrylic, Graphite

The Brown Stripe

The Brown Stripe

By Robert Motherwell

Located in London, GB

Acrylic and pasted papers on paper 35.6 x 21 cms (14 x 8 1/2 ins)

Category

20th Century Robert Motherwell Art

Materials

Paper, Acrylic

Cabaret No. 2

Cabaret No. 2

By Robert Motherwell

Located in London, GB

Acrylic, pasted papers, and graphite on paper 56 x 26 cms (22 x 10 1/4 ins)

Category

20th Century Abstract Expressionist Robert Motherwell Art

Materials

Mixed Media, Acrylic

Cabaret No. 8

Cabaret No. 8

By Robert Motherwell

Located in London, GB

Acrylic, pencil and collage on paper 55.9 x 26 cms (22 x 10 1/4 ins)

Category

20th Century Abstract Expressionist Robert Motherwell Art

Materials

Mixed Media, Acrylic

St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (Poster) -- signed limited edition

St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (Poster) -- signed limited edition

By Robert Motherwell

Located in Missouri, MO

Original color lithograph designed by Robert Motherwell for the 94th Season, Powell Symphony Hall, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra From the limited edition of 120 + A.P.s on Arches Cove...

Category

1970s Abstract Expressionist Robert Motherwell Art

Materials

Lithograph

Robert Motherwell art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Robert Motherwell art available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of art to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of orange, red, blue and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Robert Motherwell in lithograph, etching, paint and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the abstract style. Not every interior allows for large Robert Motherwell art, so small editions measuring 1 inch across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Sam Francis, Paul Jenkins, and Helen Frankenthaler. Robert Motherwell art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $150 and tops out at $3,600,000, while the average work can sell for $9,500.

Artists Similar to Robert Motherwell

Questions About Robert Motherwell Art
  • 1stDibs ExpertAugust 29, 2024
    No, Robert Motherwell was not a Surrealist painter. The American artist was the youngest member of the New York School, a group of Abstract Expressionists working in art, dance, poetry and music in the 1950s and '60s. However, Motherwell did meet a group of exiled Parisian Surrealists while attending Columbia University to study art history in the 1940s. This encounter proved influential in his style. Inspired by their work, 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. On 1stDibs, find a selection of Robert Motherwell art.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Robert 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.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Robert 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.