Robert Motherwell - Columbia University, Birthday and Childhood
Robert Motherwell's Personal Details
Robert Motherwell was a prominent painter and writer from America
| Information | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birthday | January 24, 1915 |
| Died on | July 16, 1991 |
| Nationality | American |
| Famous | Columbia University, Harvard University, Stanford University, Artists & Painters, Artists, Abstract Painters |
| Spouses | Helen Frankenthaler |
| Known as | Robert. Motherwell |
| Childrens | Jeannie Motherwell, Lise Motherwell |
| Universities |
|
| Notable Alumnis |
|
| Birth Place | Aberdeen |
| Gender | Male |
| Father | Robert Burns Motherwell II |
| Mother | Margaret Hogan Motherwell |
| Sun Sign | Aquarius |
| Born in | Aberdeen |
| Famous as | Abstract Painter |
| Died at Age | 76 |
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Robert Motherwell's photo
Who is Robert Motherwell?
Robert Motherwell was a prominent painter and writer from America. Initially he wanted a philosopher and pursued his studies to achieve his goal. However, in due course he was guided by his mentor, Meyer Schapiro, into the path of art and painting, and subsequently went on to pursue the same as a career. Robert Motherwell was a principal member among the group of artists who created and popularized ‘Abstract Expressionism’; a theme that broke conventional art methods. His intellect not only supported him as an artist, but allowed him to progress as one among the most prominent writers, editors and advocates of the superior post war movement known as the ‘New York School’. His role in incorporating integral concepts like psychoanalysis and automatism in discussions involving American Abstraction was pivotal. Throughout his career, he created art, taught at universities, worked as writer and editor and held exhibitions across Europe and USA. He was regarded by many, as among the very best of American Abstract Expressionist painters of his time.
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Childhood & Early Life
Robert Motherwell was born on 24 January 1915, at Aberdeen, Washington. He was the oldest child of Robert Burns Motherwell II and Margaret Hogan Motherwell. His family shifted to San Francisco, a few years after his birth. As a child, he suffered from asthma and spent most of his school education in California.
Between the years 1932 and 1937, he studied painting at the California School of Fine Arts in San Francisco along with completing his B.A in philosophy from the Stanford University.
At Stanford University, he was exposed to various ideologies like modernism and concept of symbolism in art, and was influenced deeply by the works of James Joyce, Mallarmé, Edgar Allan Poe and Octavio Paz.
He later went on to do PhD in Philosophy from Harvard University, upon the insistence of his father. In 1940, he shifted to New York to study Art History in Columbia University under the guidance of artist Meyer Schapiro, upon the advice of composer Arthur Berger.
Meyer Schapiro urged Robert Motherwell to pursue art and arranged for his studies under painter Kurt Seligmann. He also got introduced to a group of exiled surrealist painters, and this proved to be extremely helpful for nurturing his art.
In 1941, he got the opportunity to travel to Mexico with painter Roberto Matta, and following this experience he decided to pursue painting as an occupation.
Career
During his Mexico tour he made sketches that later became part of his initial major art works, like the ‘Little Spanish Prison’ (1941), ‘Dead and Alive’ (1943) etc.
Robert Motherwell was influenced by Roberto Matta’s style of automatic drawing and this was evident in the initial sketches he made at Mexico. However, during his travel he met painter Wolfgang Paalen, and his association with the painter led to Robert Motherwell altering his style to include ‘Abstract Expressionism’.
After returning to New York in 1942, he befriended well-known artists Willem de Kooning, Jackson Pollock, Hans Hofmann and William Baziotes. However, he observed that though American artists could paint exceptionally well, there was no creative principle involved in the art.
In the early years of 1940s, Robert Motherwell was instrumental in beginning the movement of Abstract Expressionism. He was supported by several other artists like Roberto Matta, Pollock, de Kooning, Hofmann, Kamrowski and Busa.
In 1942, he was included in the ‘First Papers of Surrealism’ exhibition held at the Whitelaw Reid Mansion at New York.
Between 1942 and 1944, he was a member of the board of editors for magazine ‘VVV’ along with contributing towards art magazine ‘DYN’.
In 1944, he was appointed as the editor of Documents of Modern Art Series of Books. While holding this position, he contributed to the literature regarding Modern Art. The same year, his solo exhibition was showcased at Peggy Guggenheim’s Art of This Century gallery in New York.
Within the next few years, Robert Motherwell evolved as a spokesperson for avant- garde art in America. His friends circle included popular artists like Barnett Newman, Herbert Ferber, and Mark Rothko with whom he initiated the ‘Subjects of Artist School’ between 1948 and 1949.
In this period, he also conducted his solo exhibitions at the San Francisco Museum of Art, the Arts Club of Chicago, along with taking part in the exhibition ‘Fourteen Americans’ at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
In 1948, he began his work on the development of the theme ‘Elegy to the Spanish Republic’, which he described as a lamentation post the Spanish civil war. He continued developing this theme until his death.
In the 1950s Robert Motherwell pursued teaching at colleges like the Hunter College in New York and Black Mountain College in North Carolina. Artists and painters, such as, Cy Twombly, Kenneth Noland and Robert Rauschenberg were taught and influenced by him. He also continued his literary contributions to the Documents of Modern Art Series, as well as worked on the ‘The Dada Painters and Poets: An Anthology’ (1951).
Between 1954 and 1958, he worked on paintings that depicted his most private feelings, and is known to have included the words ‘Je t’aime’ in his works.
Between 1958 and 1959, he was included in the exhibition initiated by the Museum of Modern Art named ‘The New American painting;’ and he travelled to Spain and France.
During the 1960s his exhibitions were showcased in America and Europe. In 1962 he spent months at the artists’ colony at Massachusetts, the coastline being an inspiration for the 64 paintings created as part of the ‘Beside the Sea’ series.
In 1965 as part of the exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, he travelled to places like Brussels, London, Essen, Turin and Amsterdam. The same year he also worked on the ‘Lyric Suite’, where he used Japanese paper also called Rice paper.
In 1967, he initiated work on ‘Open series’, which was inspired by the chance proximity of large and small canvas. This work occupied him for almost two decades and included limited planes of colour. As the series progressed, they became more complex.
During the 1970s Robert Motherwell attended several retrospective exhibitions in many parts of Europe like Stockholm, Düsseldorf, Vienna, Edinburgh, Paris and London.
In 1977, he received a mural commission for the new wing of the National Gallery of Art at Washington, D.C.
Retrospective exhibitions of his works were held in the United States of America in 1983, beginning in New York and progressing to other places like Seattle, Los Angeles, Washington D.C and San Francisco.
In 1988, Robert Motherwell worked in collaboration with publisher Andrew Hoyem of Arion Press on a limited edition of novel ‘ Ulysses’ authored by James Joyce; he created 40 etchings for the project.
Major Works
Robert Motherwell was known for his style of ‘abstract expressionism’. His most popular works include his art series ‘Open’ and 'Elegy to the Spanish Republic'.
Personal Life & Legacy
Robert Motherwell met aspiring actress and writer Maria Emilia Ferreira y Moyeros in 1941 and they got married the same year. The couple separated in 1949.
In 1950, he married Betty Little and the couple had two daughters. However, the relationship ended in a divorce.
In 1958, he married painter Helen Frankenthaler, and this relationship lasted till 1971, once again ending in a divorce.
In 1970, he married photographer and artist Renate Pensold.
Robert Motherwell died on 16 July 1991 at Provincetown, Massachusetts, at the age of 76.
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Robert Motherwell biography timelines
- // 24th Jan 1915Robert Motherwell was born on 24 January 1915, at Aberdeen, Washington. He was the oldest child of Robert Burns Motherwell II and Margaret Hogan Motherwell. His family shifted to San Francisco, a few years after his birth. As a child, he suffered from asthma and spent most of his school education in California.
- // 1932 To 1937Between the years 1932 and 1937, he studied painting at the California School of Fine Arts in San Francisco along with completing his B.A in philosophy from the Stanford University.
- // 1940He later went on to do PhD in Philosophy from Harvard University, upon the insistence of his father. In 1940, he shifted to New York to study Art History in Columbia University under the guidance of artist Meyer Schapiro, upon the advice of composer Arthur Berger.
- // 1941In 1941, he got the opportunity to travel to Mexico with painter Roberto Matta, and following this experience he decided to pursue painting as an occupation.
- // 1941 To 1943During his Mexico tour he made sketches that later became part of his initial major art works, like the ‘Little Spanish Prison’ (1941), ‘Dead and Alive’ (1943) etc.
- // 1941 To 1949Robert Motherwell met aspiring actress and writer Maria Emilia Ferreira y Moyeros in 1941 and they got married the same year. The couple separated in 1949.
- // 1942After returning to New York in 1942, he befriended well-known artists Willem de Kooning, Jackson Pollock, Hans Hofmann and William Baziotes. However, he observed that though American artists could paint exceptionally well, there was no creative principle involved in the art.
- // 1942In 1942, he was included in the ‘First Papers of Surrealism’ exhibition held at the Whitelaw Reid Mansion at New York.
- // 1942 To 1944Between 1942 and 1944, he was a member of the board of editors for magazine ‘VVV’ along with contributing towards art magazine ‘DYN’.
- // 1944In 1944, he was appointed as the editor of Documents of Modern Art Series of Books. While holding this position, he contributed to the literature regarding Modern Art. The same year, his solo exhibition was showcased at Peggy Guggenheim’s Art of This Century gallery in New York.
- // 1948 To 1949Within the next few years, Robert Motherwell evolved as a spokesperson for avant- garde art in America. His friends circle included popular artists like Barnett Newman, Herbert Ferber, and Mark Rothko with whom he initiated the ‘Subjects of Artist School’ between 1948 and 1949.
- // 1948In 1948, he began his work on the development of the theme ‘Elegy to the Spanish Republic’, which he described as a lamentation post the Spanish civil war. He continued developing this theme until his death.
- // 1950In 1950, he married Betty Little and the couple had two daughters. However, the relationship ended in a divorce.
- // 1951In the 1950s Robert Motherwell pursued teaching at colleges like the Hunter College in New York and Black Mountain College in North Carolina. Artists and painters, such as, Cy Twombly, Kenneth Noland and Robert Rauschenberg were taught and influenced by him. He also continued his literary contributions to the Documents of Modern Art Series, as well as worked on the ‘The Dada Painters and Poets: An Anthology’ (1951).
- // 1954 To 1958Between 1954 and 1958, he worked on paintings that depicted his most private feelings, and is known to have included the words ‘Je t’aime’ in his works.
- // 1958 To 1959Between 1958 and 1959, he was included in the exhibition initiated by the Museum of Modern Art named ‘The New American painting;’ and he travelled to Spain and France.
- // 1958 To 1971In 1958, he married painter Helen Frankenthaler, and this relationship lasted till 1971, once again ending in a divorce.
- // 1962During the 1960s his exhibitions were showcased in America and Europe. In 1962 he spent months at the artists’ colony at Massachusetts, the coastline being an inspiration for the 64 paintings created as part of the ‘Beside the Sea’ series.
- // 1965In 1965 as part of the exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, he travelled to places like Brussels, London, Essen, Turin and Amsterdam. The same year he also worked on the ‘Lyric Suite’, where he used Japanese paper also called Rice paper.
- // 1967In 1967, he initiated work on ‘Open series’, which was inspired by the chance proximity of large and small canvas. This work occupied him for almost two decades and included limited planes of colour. As the series progressed, they became more complex.
- // 1970In 1970, he married photographer and artist Renate Pensold.
- // 1977In 1977, he received a mural commission for the new wing of the National Gallery of Art at Washington, D.C.
- // 1983Retrospective exhibitions of his works were held in the United States of America in 1983, beginning in New York and progressing to other places like Seattle, Los Angeles, Washington D.C and San Francisco.
- // 1988In 1988, Robert Motherwell worked in collaboration with publisher Andrew Hoyem of Arion Press on a limited edition of novel ‘ Ulysses’ authored by James Joyce; he created 40 etchings for the project.
- // 16th Jul 1991Robert Motherwell died on 16 July 1991 at Provincetown, Massachusetts, at the age of 76.
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Robert Motherwell's FAQ
What is Robert Motherwell birthday?
Robert Motherwell was born at 1915-01-24
When was Robert Motherwell died?
Robert Motherwell was died at 1991-07-16
Where was Robert Motherwell died?
Robert Motherwell was died in Provincetown
Which age was Robert Motherwell died?
Robert Motherwell was died at age 76
Where is Robert Motherwell's birth place?
Robert Motherwell was born in Aberdeen
What is Robert Motherwell nationalities?
Robert Motherwell's nationalities is American
Who is Robert Motherwell spouses?
Robert Motherwell's spouses is Helen Frankenthaler
Who is Robert Motherwell childrens?
Robert Motherwell's childrens is Jeannie Motherwell, Lise Motherwell
What was Robert Motherwell universities?
Robert Motherwell studied at Columbia University,Harvard University,Stanford University, Columbia University, Stanford University, Otis College of Art and Design, Harvard University
What was Robert Motherwell notable alumnis?
Robert Motherwell's notable alumnis is Columbia University, Harvard University, Stanford University
Who is Robert Motherwell's father?
Robert Motherwell's father is Robert Burns Motherwell II
Who is Robert Motherwell's mother?
Robert Motherwell's mother is Margaret Hogan Motherwell
What is Robert Motherwell's sun sign?
Robert Motherwell is Aquarius
How famous is Robert Motherwell?
Robert Motherwell is famouse as Abstract Painter