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Roberto Matta Art

Chilean, 1911-2002

“The function of art,” the Surrealist Roberto Matta once stated, “is to unveil the enormous economic, cultural and emotional forces that materially interact in our lives and that constitute the real space in which we live.” In his paintings, Matta sought to expose those forces through the Surrealist practice of automatism, creating work in a free-associative state intended to conjure the unconscious.

After studying architecture in his native Chile, Matta, then 22, chose to pursue the field in Paris, where he mingled with stars of the avant-garde like Gertrude Stein, Salvador Dalí and Walter Gropius. In the late 1930s, he abandoned Paris, together with his job at Le Corbusier’s studio and (for a time) his career, for modern art’s new epicenter, New York City. There, he became a colleague of art legends like Marcel Duchamp and Arshile Gorky.

Although celebrated primarily for his work as a painter, Matta was an equally talented furniture designer. His furniture pieces, like his artworks, are the stuff of dreams. The back of his totem chair, for example, is composed of smiling, cartoonish creatures stacked on top of each other. In his MAgriTTA armchair, the top half of a plush green apple sticks out of large black bowler in homage to its namesake, the Belgian Surrealist René Magritte.

But perhaps the piece that most truly embodies his artistic philosophy is his 1966 Mallite modular system: a collection of spongy, undulating sofas and lounges that can be fitted together to form a puzzle-like room divider. The work, an original edition of which is in MoMA’s permanent collection, has in recent decades been a hard-to-find collectors’ item — until 2019, when Italian design brand Paradisoterrestre issued a reedition, available through Duplex.

Browse Roberto Matta's paintings and furniture designs on 1stDibs.

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Artist: Roberto Matta
Sans Titre Original Mixed Media (1)
By Roberto Matta
Located in Hollywood, FL
Artist: Roberto Matta Title: Sans Titre Original Mixed Media (1) Medium: Mixed Media on paper Signed: Hand Signed Measurements: 12" x 17" Framed: 22.5" x 27" Certificate of Authe...
Category

Late 20th Century Surrealist Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Mixed Media

12 AM from L'Arc Obscur des Heures, Surrealist Aquatint Etching by Roberto Matta
By Roberto Matta
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Roberto Matta, Chilean (1911 - 2002) Title: 12 AM from L'Arc Obscur des Heures Year: 1975 Medium: Aquatint Etching, Signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 51/125, XXXIII Imag...
Category

1970s Surrealist Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Etching, Aquatint

Tout se Tient - Lithograph by R.S. Matta - 1975
By Roberto Matta
Located in Roma, IT
T'ou't se tient is a print realized by the Chilean artist Roberto Sebastian Matta (1911-2002). This color lithograph on wove paper, was edited by the French magazine "XXe Siécle",...
Category

1970s Surrealist Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Lithograph

La Une a L'h Pile (Head to Head), Surrealist Aquatint Etching by Roberto Matta
By Roberto Matta
Located in Long Island City, NY
An early large-scale work by Chilean artist Roberto Matta. In this black-and-white surrealist piece, various figures can be seen in various acts. Signed and numbered in pencil. This edition is not from the Arabic numbered edition of 40. La Une a L’h Pile (Head to...
Category

1960s Surrealist Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Etching, Aquatint

Les naufrageants from Hom'mere II - L'Eautre, Aquatint Etching by Roberto Matta
By Roberto Matta
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Roberto Matta, Chilean (1911 - 2002) Title: Les naufrageants from Hom'mere II - L'Eautre Year: 1974-75 Medium: Aquatint Etching on Japon, Signed and numbered in pencil Editio...
Category

1970s Surrealist Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Etching, Aquatint

Sans Titre, Surrealist Lithograph by Roberto Matta
By Roberto Matta
Located in Long Island City, NY
This raucous scene by Latin American Surrealist Roberto Matta shows leaping nude figures flying through the air above what look like boulders. Their bodies are warped and stretched a...
Category

1960s Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Lithograph

L'eau est Mana, Framed Surrealist Lithograph by Roberto Matta
By Roberto Matta
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Roberto Matta Title: L'eau est Mana Year: 1974 Medium: Lithograph on Arches, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 200 Size: 21.5 x 30 inches (54.61 x 76.2 cm) Frame...
Category

1970s Surrealist Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Lithograph

Hecatombe de Toros
By Roberto Matta
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Hecatombe de Toros" 1971, is an original color lithograph on Arches paper by renown Chilean artist Roberto Sebastian Matta, 1911-2002. It is hand signed and numb...
Category

Mid-20th Century Surrealist Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Lithograph

Tout se Tient - Lithograph by R.S. Matta - 1975
By Roberto Matta
Located in Roma, IT
T'ou't  se tient is an Artwork realized in 1975, by Roberto Sebastián Antonio Matta Echaurren (Santiago, Chile, 1911 - Civitavecchia, Italy, 2002). Colored Lithograph on paper. The ...
Category

1970s Surrealist Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Lithograph

The New School, Surrealist Suite of 10 etchings by Roberto Matta
By Roberto Matta
Located in Long Island City, NY
Roberto Matta, Chilean (1911 - 2002) - The New School, Year: 1943, Medium: Suite of 10 etchings, lacking cover sheet, Image Size: 7.75 x 6 inches, Size: 15 x 11.75 in. (38.1 x 29.8...
Category

1940s Surrealist Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Etching

L'ame du Tarot de Theleme Portfolio of 5 Aquatint Etchings by Matta
By Roberto Matta
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Roberto Matta Portfolio: L'ame du Tarot de Theleme Year: 1994 Medium: Portfolio of Five Aquatint Etchings, each signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 100, XX Image Size: 19....
Category

1990s Surrealist Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Etching, Aquatint

"Centre Noeuds" planche #9
By Roberto Matta
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Centre Noeuds" plate #9, 1974, is an original color etching with aquatint on Japan nacre paper by renown Chilean artist Roberto Sebastian Matta, 1911-2002. It is...
Category

Mid-20th Century Surrealist Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Aquatint

Par La Bait Naitre, Surrealist Etching by Roberto Matta
By Roberto Matta
Located in Long Island City, NY
Roberto Matta, Chilean (1911 - 2002) - Par La Bait Naitre, Year: 1946, Medium: Etching on Hollande Van Gelder, Edition: 58, Image Size: 5.25 x 3.75 inches, Size: 7.25 x 6 in. (18.4...
Category

1940s Surrealist Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Etching

"Centre Noeuds" planche #6
By Roberto Matta
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Centre Noeuds" plate #6 1974, is an original color etching with aquatint on Japan nacre paper by renown Chilean artist Roberto Sebastian Matta, 1911-2002. It is ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Surrealist Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Aquatint

Folder Los 5 Destacados. Burumbauzerda
By Roberto Matta
Located in Hollywood, FL
Artist: Roberto Matta Title: Folder Los 5 Destacados Burumbauzerda Medium: Original Etching & Acquatint on Arches Paper Signed: Hand Signed Edition Number: Proof Measurements: 19.75...
Category

1970s Surrealist Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Etching

Cosmicstrip IV, Surrealist Aquatint Etching by Roberto Matta
By Roberto Matta
Located in Long Island City, NY
Cosmicstrip IV by Roberto Matta, Chilean (1911–2002) Date: 1959 Etching, signed and numbered in pencil Edition of 21/50 Image Size: 14.75 x 19.25 inches Frame Size: 23.75 x 28 inches...
Category

1950s Surrealist Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Etching, Aquatint

Untitled from Le Surrealisme en 1947, Surrealist Lithograph by Roberto Matta
By Roberto Matta
Located in Long Island City, NY
Roberto Matta, Chilean (1911 - 2002) - Untitled from Le Surrealisme en 1947, Year: 1947, Medium: Lithograph, Edition: 950, Size: 9 x 7.75 in. (22.86 x 19.69 cm), Printer: Mourlot, P...
Category

1940s Surrealist Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Lithograph

"Centre Noeuds" planche #3
By Roberto Matta
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Centre Noeuds" plate #3 1974, is an original color etching with aquatint on Japan nacre paper by renown Chilean artist Roberto Sebastian Matta, 1911-2002. It is ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Surrealist Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Aquatint

Sans Titre
By Roberto Matta
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Sans Titre" 1968, is an original color lithograph on Arches paper by renown Chilean artist Roberto Sebastian Matta, 1911-2002. It is hand signed and numbered 30/...
Category

Mid-20th Century Surrealist Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Lithograph

Hecatombe de Toros
By Roberto Matta
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Hecatombe de Toros" 1971, is an original color lithograph on Arches paper by renown Chilean artist Roberto Sebastian Matta, 1911-2002. It is hand signed and numb...
Category

Mid-20th Century Surrealist Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Lithograph

Attulima, Surrealist Lithograph by Roberto Matta
By Roberto Matta
Located in Long Island City, NY
Roberto Matta, Chilean (1911 - 2002) - Attulima, Year: 1954, Medium: Lithograph, Edition: 211, Image Size: 10.75 x 8.5 inches, Size: 10.75 x 17 in. (27.31 x 43.18 cm), Publisher: E...
Category

1950s Surrealist Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Lithograph

8 AM from L'Arc Obscur des Heures, Aquatint Etching by Roberto Matta
By Roberto Matta
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Roberto Matta, Chilean (1911 - 2002) Title: 8 AM from L'Arc Obscur des Heures Year: 1975 Medium: Aquatint Etching on Arches, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 125, XXXII...
Category

1970s Surrealist Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Etching, Aquatint

"Centre Noeuds" planche #1
By Roberto Matta
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Centre Noeuds" plate #1, 1974, is an original color etching with aquatint on Japan nacre paper by renown Chilean artist Roberto Sebastian Matta, 1911-2002. It is...
Category

Mid-20th Century Surrealist Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Aquatint

"Centre Noeuds" planche #5
By Roberto Matta
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Centre Noeuds" plate #5, 1974, is an original color etching with aquatint on Japan nacre paper by renown Chilean artist Roberto Sebastian Matta, 1911-2002. It is...
Category

Mid-20th Century Surrealist Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Aquatint

Original Drawing Hommage to Germana 1998
By Roberto Matta
Located in Hollywood, FL
Artist: Roberto Matta Title: Hommage to Germana 1998 Medium: Original Black marker and colors drawing on paper Signed: Hand Signed Measurements: 6.5" x 8.5" Framed: ...
Category

1990s Surrealist Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Paper

Centre Noeuds
By Roberto Matta
Located in Paris, FR
Etching, 1974 Handsigned by the artist in pencil and annotated ea 14/15 Publisher : Georges Visat (Paris) 60.50 cm. x 45.00 cm. 23.82 in. x 17.72 in. (paper) 35.50 cm. x 26.50 cm. ...
Category

1970s Abstract Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Etching

"Centre Noeuds" planche #7
By Roberto Matta
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Centre Noeuds" plate #7, 1974, is an original color etching with aquatint on Japan nacre paper by renown Chilean artist Roberto Sebastian Matta, 1911-2002. It is...
Category

Mid-20th Century Surrealist Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Aquatint

"Centre Noeuds" planche #4
By Roberto Matta
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Centre Noeuds" plate #4, 1974, is an original color etching with aquatint on Japan nacre paper by renown Chilean artist Roberto Sebastian Matta, 1911-2002. It is...
Category

Mid-20th Century Surrealist Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Aquatint

Untitled - Early Surrealist Pencil Drawing by Roberto Matta - 1950s
By Roberto Matta
Located in Roma, IT
Surrealist Drawing is an exceptional pencil drawing by the artist Roberto Sebastián Antonio Matta Echaurren, who signed on the lower right of the paper “Matta”. The artwork is in ver...
Category

1950s Surrealist Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Pencil

Il Albero Giovanne, Large Surrealist Carborundum etching by Roberto Matta
By Roberto Matta
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Roberto Matta, Chilean (1911 - 2002) Title: Il Albero Giovanne Year: 2002 Medium: Carborundum Etching on Hand-Made Paper, signed and numbered in marker Edition: 125, XXXV Pap...
Category

Early 2000s Surrealist Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Handmade Paper, Etching

La Source du Calme
By Roberto Matta
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Roberto Matta, Chilean (1911 - 2002) Title: La Source du Calme Year: 2002 Medium: Carborundum Etching on Hand-Made Paper, signed and numbered in marker Edition: 125, XXXV Pap...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Handmade Paper, Etching

Raising A Glass, Surrealist Etching by Roberto Matta
By Roberto Matta
Located in Long Island City, NY
Roberto Matta, Chilean (1911 - 2002) - Raising A Glass, Year: circa 1943, Medium: Etching, Image Size: 9.75 x 8 inches, Size: 15 x 11.75 in. (38.1 x 29.85 cm), Reference: Unrecorde...
Category

1940s Surrealist Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Etching

10PM from L'Arc Obscur des Heures
By Roberto Matta
Located in Boston, MA
Artist: Matta, Roberto Title: 10PM from L’Arc Obscur des Heures Series: The Obscure Arc of the Hours (Suite of 10) Date: 1975 Medium: Engraving Unframed Dimensions: 25 x 36 Fra...
Category

1970s Surrealist Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Color, Engraving

Foot Musik.
By Roberto Matta
Located in Malmo, SE
Pastel, gouache and coffee on paper. Artwork size: 58 x 56 cm. Frame size: 78 x 76 cm. Free shipment worldwide. Acquired directly from the artist. Archive number (P90/37) “The heart is an eye,” writes Nobel laureate Octavio Paz in an essay on Matta’s paintings. Matta creates a world coloured both by a sunny faith in the future and by visions of impending doom. Roberto Sebastian Echaurren Antonio Matta, who died aged 91 on 23 November 2002, was born in Santiago, Chile, on 11 November 1911 into a family with Spanish, French and Basque roots, and raised in an atmosphere of religiosity. By the age of 21 he had graduated and begun work as an architect, but his leisure time he devoted to sketching and painting. In 1933 he travelled to Europe for the first time, visiting Greece, Yugoslavia, Italy and other countries, and subsequently taking the initiative to collaborate with the architect, Le Corbusier. As time passed, however, Matta’s enthusiasm for a career in architecture waned, and he began to devote himself full-time to art, making early acquaintances with surrealists such as Max Ernst, Salvador Dalí, André Breton and others. Between 1939 and 1948 Matta, like many of his artistic contemporaries, lived in self-imposed exile in the USA, but, after almost 10 years’ absence from Europe, he returned to make first Rome and then, a few years later, Paris his home. Throughout most of the rest of his life Matta commuted between his studio in Paris and his creative refuge in the monastery outside Rome. And it is here, in Italy, that he produced his greatest paintings. Matta’s first retrospective in Sweden was organised in 1956 when his works were exhibited in what was then Galerie Colibri – run by, among others, the artist C O Hultén at number 36 Södra Förstadsgatan in Malmö, Sweden. This was also the time when Matta began to collaborate with poets and other artists in Sweden. He produced the illustrations for Lasse Söderberg’s first anthology of poems, Akrobaterna (“The Acrobats”), published in 1955, and was also responsible for the cover of the Swedish art and literary magazine Salamander. In 1959 the first museum exhibition of Matta’s work in Europe was arranged at the Museum of Modern Art (Moderna Museet) in Stockholm. Held under the aegis of Pontus Hultén, it was entitled “Fifteen Forms of Doubt” and included 15 or so gigantic paintings...
Category

1990s Abstract Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Mixed Media

La Dulce Aqua Vita
By Roberto Matta
Located in Hollywood, FL
Artist: Roberto Matta Title: La Dulce Aqua Vita Medium: Carborundum etching on handmade paper Signed: Hand Signed Size: 41 x 48 Inches Framed: 51 x 58 Inches Edition: 23/125 Year: 20...
Category

Early 2000s Surrealist Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Etching

Composition - Drawing by Roberto Matta - 1970s
By Roberto Matta
Located in Roma, IT
Composition is a wonderful Pastel drawing on paper realized in the early 1970s by the Surrealist artist Sebastián Matta (Santiago de Chile, 1911 - Civitavecchia, 2002). Not signed,...
Category

1970s Surrealist Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Pencil

Rare Vintage Exhibition Leaflet - R.S. Matta - Galerie di Dragon - 1958
By Roberto Matta
Located in Roma, IT
Exhibition Leaflet is an original rare vintage catalogue by the Chilean artist Roberto Sebastián Matta (1911-2002). This color artwork is the rare exhibition leaflet realized in occ...
Category

1950s Surrealist Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Paper

Max Clarac-Serou vous presente ses meilleurs voeux, Etching by Roberto Matta
By Roberto Matta
Located in Long Island City, NY
Roberto Matta, Chilean (1911 - 2002) - Max Clarac-Serou vous presente ses meilleurs voeux, Year: 1960, Medium: Etching on laid paper, signed and numbered in pencil, Edition: 7/50, ...
Category

1960s Surrealist Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Etching

Archery – Etching by R.S. Matta- 1977
By Roberto Matta
Located in Roma, IT
Hand signed. Edition of 100 prints. From the portfolio “Transesports” of 6 coloured etchings and aquatints on Japon Nacré paper. Printed by Georges Visat, Paris and published by Éd...
Category

1970s Contemporary Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Etching

Passage et sage du couple
By Roberto Matta
Located in Paris, FR
Pastel, 1964 Handsigned by the artist in pencil and annotated Essai 1/1 Publisher : Georges Visat (Paris) Catalog : Sabatier 110 34.00 cm. x 44.50 cm. 13.39 in. x 17.52 in. (paper) ...
Category

1960s Abstract Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Pastel

Roberto Matta (1911–2002)- Coloured crayons and graphite on paper - 1965 -unique
By Roberto Matta
Located in Varese, IT
Maitre de emotions, Orientation des gestes (Master of emotions, Gesture orientation) Colored crayons and graphite on paper, 1965. Unique work. Very good conditions, two tape marks a...
Category

1960s Abstract Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Paper

No title
By Roberto Matta
Located in Paris, FR
Engraving Handsigned by the artist in pencil and annotated HC 65.00 cm. x 50.00 cm. 25.59 in. x 19.69 in. (paper) 49.00 cm. x 37.00 cm. 19.29 in. x 14.57 in. (image) LCD5016
Category

1970s Abstract Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Engraving

Ça A by Roberto Matta
By Roberto Matta
Located in New York, NY
Artist: Roberto Matta Medium: Lithograph, E.A. Signed, Edition of 100, 1976 Dimensions: 22 x 30 in, 55.9 x 76.2 cm
Category

1970s Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Lithograph

Sans Titre 3 Original Pastel/Drawing on Paper
By Roberto Matta
Located in Hollywood, FL
Artist: Roberto Matta Title: Sans Titre 3 Medium: Original pastel/drawing on paper Signed: Hand Signed Measurements: 20" x 27" Framed: 28" x 35" Authentication: Kajsa Westling N...
Category

1960s Surrealist Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Archival Paper

4 AM from L'Arc Obscur des Heures, Abstract Aquatint Etching by Roberto Matta
By Roberto Matta
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Roberto Matta, Chilean (1911 - 2002) Title: 4 AM from L'Arc Obscur des Heures Year: 1975 Medium: Aquatint Etching, Signed and numbered in pencil Edition: XXXI/XXXIII Image Si...
Category

1970s Surrealist Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Etching, Aquatint

Centre Noeuds
By Roberto Matta
Located in Paris, FR
Etching, 1974 Handsigned by the artist in pencil and annotated ea 14/15 Publisher : Georges Visat (Paris) 60.00 cm. x 45.00 cm. 23.62 in. x 17.72 in. (paper) 35.50 cm. x 26.50 cm. ...
Category

1970s Abstract Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Etching

Centre Noeuds
By Roberto Matta
Located in Paris, FR
Etching, 1974 Handsigned by the artist in pencil and annotated ea 14/15 Publisher : Georges Visat (Paris) 60.50 cm. x 45.00 cm. 23.82 in. x 17.72 in. (paper) 35.50 cm. x 26.50 cm. ...
Category

1970s Abstract Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Etching

Matta - Autoapocalipse (folder containing four etchings and aquatint on paper)
By Roberto Matta
Located in Varese, IT
Folder containing four etchings and aquatint on paper. Limited edition: 150 signed and numbered. Each one signed in pencil by artist in lower right corner. Very good conditions with ...
Category

1980s Abstract Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Paper, Etching

Foot Musik
By Roberto Matta
Located in Malmo, SE
Artwork size: 56 x 58 cm. Frame size: 76 x 78 cm. Free shipment worldwide. Archive number (P90/36) Acquired directly from the artist. “The heart is an eye,” writes Nobel laureate Octavio Paz in an essay on Matta’s paintings. Matta creates a world coloured both by a sunny faith in the future and by visions of impending doom. Roberto Sebastian Echaurren Antonio Matta, who died aged 91 on 23 November 2002, was born in Santiago, Chile, on 11 November 1911 into a family with Spanish, French and Basque roots, and raised in an atmosphere of religiosity. By the age of 21 he had graduated and begun work as an architect, but his leisure time he devoted to sketching and painting. In 1933 he travelled to Europe for the first time, visiting Greece, Yugoslavia, Italy and other countries, and subsequently taking the initiative to collaborate with the architect, Le Corbusier. As time passed, however, Matta’s enthusiasm for a career in architecture waned, and he began to devote himself full-time to art, making early acquaintances with surrealists such as Max Ernst, Salvador Dalí, André Breton and others. Between 1939 and 1948 Matta, like many of his artistic contemporaries, lived in self-imposed exile in the USA, but, after almost 10 years’ absence from Europe, he returned to make first Rome and then, a few years later, Paris his home. Throughout most of the rest of his life Matta commuted between his studio in Paris and his creative refuge in the monastery outside Rome. And it is here, in Italy, that he produced his greatest paintings. Matta’s first retrospective in Sweden was organised in 1956 when his works were exhibited in what was then Galerie Colibri – run by, among others, the artist C O Hultén at number 36 Södra Förstadsgatan in Malmö, Sweden. This was also the time when Matta began to collaborate with poets and other artists in Sweden. He produced the illustrations for Lasse Söderberg’s first anthology of poems, Akrobaterna (“The Acrobats”), published in 1955, and was also responsible for the cover of the Swedish art and literary magazine Salamander. In 1959 the first museum exhibition of Matta’s work in Europe was arranged at the Museum of Modern Art (Moderna Museet) in Stockholm. Held under the aegis of Pontus Hultén, it was entitled “Fifteen Forms of Doubt” and included 15 or so gigantic paintings...
Category

1990s Surrealist Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Mixed Media

5PM from L'Arc Obscur des Heures, Surrealist Aquatint Etching by Roberto Matta
By Roberto Matta
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Roberto Matta, Chilean (1911 - 2002) Title: 5PM from L'Arc Obscur des Heures Year: 1975 Medium: Aquatint Etching, Signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 125, XXXIII Image Siz...
Category

1970s Surrealist Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Etching, Aquatint

THE MIND BEATENS (ORIGINAL DRAWING)
By Roberto Matta
Located in Aventura, FL
Original color drawing on paper. Hand signed lower front by Roberto Matta. Image size 12 x 16 inches. Frame size approx 23.25 x 27.5 inches. Artwork is in overall excellent co...
Category

Mid-20th Century Contemporary Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Paper, Color Pencil

UNTITLED (ORIGINAL DRAWING)
By Roberto Matta
Located in Aventura, FL
Original color drawing on paper. Hand signed lower front by Roberto Matta. Image size 12 x 16 inches. Frame size approx 23.25 x 27.5 inches. Artwork is in overall excellent co...
Category

Mid-20th Century Contemporary Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Paper, Color Pencil

2 AM from L'Arc Obscur des Heures, Surrealist Aquatint Etching by Roberto Matta
By Roberto Matta
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Roberto Matta, Chilean (1911 - 2002) Title: 2 AM from L'Arc Obscur des Heures Year: 1975 Medium: Aquatint Etching, Signed and numbered in pencil Edition: XXXI/XXXIII Image Si...
Category

1970s Surrealist Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Etching, Aquatint

Foot Musik
By Roberto Matta
Located in Malmo, SE
Frame size 76x78 cm. Free shipment worldwide. Acquired directly from the artist. Archive number (P90/41) “The heart is an eye,” writes Nobel laureate Octavio Paz in an essay on Matta’s paintings. Matta creates a world coloured both by a sunny faith in the future and by visions of impending doom. Roberto Sebastian Echaurren Antonio Matta, who died aged 91 on 23 November 2002, was born in Santiago, Chile, on 11 November 1911 into a family with Spanish, French and Basque roots, and raised in an atmosphere of religiosity. By the age of 21 he had graduated and begun work as an architect, but his leisure time he devoted to sketching and painting. In 1933 he travelled to Europe for the first time, visiting Greece, Yugoslavia, Italy and other countries, and subsequently taking the initiative to collaborate with the architect, Le Corbusier. As time passed, however, Matta’s enthusiasm for a career in architecture waned, and he began to devote himself full-time to art, making early acquaintances with surrealists such as Max Ernst, Salvador Dalí, André Breton and others. Between 1939 and 1948 Matta, like many of his artistic contemporaries, lived in self-imposed exile in the USA, but, after almost 10 years’ absence from Europe, he returned to make first Rome and then, a few years later, Paris his home. Throughout most of the rest of his life Matta commuted between his studio in Paris and his creative refuge in the monastery outside Rome. And it is here, in Italy, that he produced his greatest paintings. Matta’s first retrospective in Sweden was organised in 1956 when his works were exhibited in what was then Galerie Colibri – run by, among others, the artist C O Hultén...
Category

1990s Surrealist Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Mixed Media, Gouache

"Centre Noeuds" planche #8
By Roberto Matta
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Centre Noeuds" plate #8 1974, is an original color etching with aquatint on Japan nacre paper by renown Chilean artist Roberto Sebastian Matta, 1911-2002. It is ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Surrealist Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Aquatint

"Centre Noeuds" planche #10
By Roberto Matta
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Centre Noeuds" plate #10, 1974, is an original color etching with aquatint on Japan nacre paper by renown Chilean artist Roberto Sebastian Matta, 1911-2002. It i...
Category

Mid-20th Century Surrealist Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Aquatint

"Centre Noeuds" planche #2
By Roberto Matta
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Centre Noeuds" plate #2, 1974, is an original color etching with aquatint on Japan nacre paper by renown Chilean artist Roberto Sebastian Matta, 1911-2002. It is...
Category

Mid-20th Century Surrealist Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Aquatint

Or dur or aison
By Roberto Matta
Located in New York, NY
Signed, titled, and numbered
Category

20th Century Roberto Matta Art

Materials

Lithograph

Roberto Matta art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Roberto Matta 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 blue, green, purple and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Roberto Matta in etching, aquatint, lithograph and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the Surrealist style. Not every interior allows for large Roberto Matta art, so small editions measuring 7 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Leonor Fini, André Masson, and Man Ray. Roberto Matta art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $200 and tops out at $127,935, while the average work can sell for $2,400.
Questions About Roberto Matta Art
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Chilean artist Roberto Matta is sometimes referred to simply as “Matta.” One of Chile’s most famous artists, Matta is best known for his contributions to surrealist and expressionist painting during the 20th century. Shop a collection of authentic Roberto Matta pieces from some of the world’s top art dealers on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Chilean-born Roberto Matta is a modern art painter primarily known for his work in blending surrealism with abstract expressionism. You can shop a selection of expertly vetted Fairfield Porter pieces from some of the world’s top art dealers on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertNovember 20, 2024
    In art, the definition of Surrealism is a movement that emerged in the 1920s and was defined by dreamlike and uncanny imagery. It was often guided by a variety of techniques, such as automatic drawing, to channel psychological experiences. In the wake of World War I’s ravaging of Europe, artists delved into the unconscious mind to confront and grapple with this reality. Poet and critic André Breton, a leader of the Surrealist movement who authored the 1924 Surrealist Manifesto, called this approach “a violent reaction against the impoverishment and sterility of thought processes that resulted from centuries of rationalism.” Artists who produced Surrealist art included Max Ernst, Salvador Dalí, Man Ray, Joan Miró, René Magritte, Yves Tanguy, Frida Kahlo and Meret Oppenheim. On 1stDibs, shop a selection of Surrealist art.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Roberto Matta is a painter who became a noted part of the Surrealist movement. Born Roberto Antonio Sebastian Matta Echaurren in 1922 in Santiago, Chile, the artist began his professional life as an architect and slowly switched to painting. His work often featured complex biomorphic forms in disturbing settings, making him an important influence in the post World War II era. Shop a selection of Roberto Matta pieces from some of the world’s top art dealers on 1stDibs.

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