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Robert Motherwell (1915-1991)  

Aliases: Robert Burns Motherwell
Professions: Painter

About Robert Motherwell Motherwell's Biography Examples of Motherwell's Work - 1,781 Literature on Motherwell - 4 Artfact 1,000™: Abstract Expressionism Related Artists: Abstract Expressionism Related Artists: Black Mountain College Related Artists: Provincetown, Cape Cod & the Islands Artists Related Artists: Abstract Art Web Sources - 45 Marketplace for Robert Motherwell Upcoming Auction Lots - 3 Auction Price Records - 1,781 Auction Houses - 65 Alert Me about Motherwell

Biography

(born 4 January 1915 Aberdeen, WA; died 16 July 1991 Cape Cod, MA) American painter. Robert Motherwell was a leading Abstract Expressionist who dramatically altered the American art scene during the mid twentieth century. At first desiring to become a philosopher, Motherwell studied the discipline at Stanford University and later at Harvard University. It was in 1938-9 during a trip to Paris where he observed modern art that Motherwell decided to pursue a career in ... (view more)

(born 4 January 1915 Aberdeen, WA; died 16 July 1991 Cape Cod, MA) American painter. Robert Motherwell was a leading Abstract Expressionist who dramatically altered the American art scene during the mid twentieth century. At first desiring to become a philosopher, Motherwell studied the discipline at Stanford University and later at Harvard University. It was in 1938-9 during a trip to Paris where he observed modern art that Motherwell decided to pursue a career in painting and went on to study art history at Columbia University. When he moved to New York he joined with like-minded artists such as Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning and Mark Rothko among others. Motherwell also became close friends with Roberto Matta, whom he joined on a six-month trip to Mexico in 1941. Matta’s associations with Surrealism and the delving into the subconscious no doubt influenced Motherwell and other Abstract Expressionists. Reacting against typical artistic conventions, Motherwell started painted big and bold brushstrokes set against a minimal backdrop. His paintings were meant to evoke authentic emotion by doing away with the superfluous and hence uncovering what is most essential. In 1943 Motherwell began experimenting with collage, which he continued to do until the end of his career. He was a frequent writer on art as well; in 1944 he became the editor of the literary series “Documents of Modern Art”. The same year he had a solo exhibit at Art of this Century Gallery in New York, leading to many more solo exhibits in the following years. Starting in the late 1940s Motherwell began painting his most famous works, Elegy to the Spanish Republic, a series of over 170 paintings that were inspired by the Spanish Civil War. He worked on Elegy to the Spanish Republic until his death, the works representing the universal themes of human suffering and violence reflected in the jarring colors and forms of the compositions. At the same time he began painting Elegy to the Spanish Republic Motherwell spent a great deal of time teaching and lecturing, which he did through the 1950s. A retrospective of his work was held from 1983-5 by Albright-Knox Gallery in Buffalo, NY, and his work is included in the collections of such museums as the Museum of Modern Art, The National Gallery, and The Guggenheim Museum.















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Upcoming Auction Lots for Motherwell - 3

	Robert Motherwell (1915-1991) 1/12/2009 Location: United States of America Please sign in or subscribe to Artfact Auction Advisor™ or Artfact Fine Art to see auction house details.	View Lot
	Robert Motherwell (1915-1991) 1/12/2009 Location: United States of America Please sign in or subscribe to Artfact Auction Advisor™ or Artfact Fine Art to see auction house details.	View Lot
	Robert Motherwell (1915-1991) 1/13/2009 Location: United States of America Please sign in or subscribe to Artfact Auction Advisor™ or Artfact Fine Art to see auction house details.	View Lot

Examples of Motherwell's Work at Auction - 1,781 price results currently available

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Related Content on Abstract Expressionism — 54 artists:

Karel Appel William A Baziotes Franz Arthur Bischoff Norman Bluhm	Louise Bourgeois James D. Brooks Alberto Burri Jack Hamilton Bush
View full list of similar artists

Related Content on Black Mountain College — 9 artists:

Josef Albers Robert R Bliss John Cage John Angus Chamberlain	Willem DeKooning Robert Duncan Fannie Hillsmith Robert Rauschenberg
View full list of similar artists

Related Content on Provincetown, Cape Cod & the Islands Artists — 37 artists:

Gerrit Albertus Beneker Frank Weston Benson Max Bohm Dennis Miller Bunker	Martha Farham Cahoon Ralph Eugene Jr Cahoon Oliver Newberry Chaffee Elizabeth Rebecca Coffin
View full list of similar artists

Related Content on Abstract Art — 27 artists:

John E Alexander Hans Arp William A Baziotes Georges Braque	Richmond Burton Dan Christensen Willem DeKooning Robert Delaunay
View full list of similar artists

Auction Houses that have sold Motherwell - 65

Web Resources with information about Motherwell - 45

Guggenheim Collection - Artist - Motherwell - Biography
American Abstract Expressionism: Painting Action and Colorfields
The Contemporary Museum - Level Two
Recent Acquisitions
Open Directory - Kids and Teens:People and Society:Biography ...
Fine Art and Antiques at Elizabeth Rice, Inc. - Sarasota, Florida
egallery
egallery
WAC | Visual Arts | Exhibition | Robert Motherwell: Reality and ...
robert motherwell - definition by dict.die.net
Art History : Gallery & Glossary : Motherwell
Robert Motherwell: Te Quiero Exhibition This exhibit presents a ...
Hofstra Museum, Permanent Collection, Robert Motherwell
Robert Motherwell - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
1991 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum - Robert Motherwell
American Masters . Robert Motherwell | PBS
Motherwell, Nevelson and Frankenthaler
For Meyer Schapiro: Portfolio of 12 Works from the Estate of ...
ImageBase
ImageBase
The State Hermitage Museum: Exhibitions
HistoryLink Essay: Aberdeen -- Thumbnail History
VMFA: Office of Statewide Partnerships
VMFA: What's New Archive
Elegy to the Spanish Republic 34
Robert Motherwell, citaten en uitspraken van de kunstenaar
WAAC Annual Meeting: Presentation Summaries
Robert Motherwell te huur/koop bij Art & Identity
MoMA.org | The Collection | Robert Motherwell. (American, 1915-1991)
Robert Motherwell Quotes
Cleveland Museum of Art - Robert Motherwell (American, 1915 - 1991)
Robert Motherwell and the New York School: Storming the Citadel
Motherwell
Abstract Expressionism: the second wave
Cleveland Museum of Art - A la Pintura (Robert Motherwell)
The Collected Writings of Robert Motherwell
Robert Motherwell: Fishes with Red Stripe
Index des noms - MOTHERWELL Robert
Chronologie - 1996 - Exposition. Robert MOTHERWELL: Reality and ...
Kresge Art Museum | Blast from the Past - Art of the 1960s
ROBERT MOTHERWELL Meaning and Definition - Dictionary - eLook.org
Worcester Art Museum - Acquisitions List
Collection Results
Dedalus Foundation: Motherwell

  

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