Robert Motherwell | Biography

Robert Motherwell was born in Aberdeen, Washington in 1915.

He studied art at Stanford and Columbia, completing a B.A. in philosophy from Stanford University.

His career as an American surrealist earned him critical acclaim as a young, promising painter during the 1940s. In the next 50 years Motherwell continued to enhance his reputation as a painter, as well as a fine printmaker, philosopher and critic. As a member of the New York School and as the inadvertent spokesman for his generation of artists he was often referred to as the “Dean of American Painters.” He received many international awards for his contribution to the artworld and his work was seen in numerous exhibitions in the U.S. and abroad, including a major retrospective exhibition in 1984 at the Seattle Art Museum.

During his career as an artist Robert Motherwell produced nearly 460 prints, influencing countless artists with his innovative ideas and printmaking techniques. A new and complete Catalogue Raisonné was recently published and is available now: Motherwell Book

He lived and worked in Greenwich, Connecticut and in New York City. Motherwell died July 16, 1991 at the age of 76. His presence is sorely missed.