Robert Motherwell (1915-1991) – American Abstract Expressionist painter and printmaker
“The Madrid Suite.” New York: Hollander Workshop, 1965. First edition.
Features complete set of 10 black-and-white lithographs on Arches Cover paper, loose as issued with tissues and title page
Numbered 31 from an edition of 100
Each signed by the artist and numbered in lower margins
Each with blind embossed printer’s mark from Irwin Hollander in lower right margins
Belknap 9-18; Engberg and Banach 21-30
Housed in original brown linen portfolio case
Individual lithograph dimensions: 566 x 763 mm
Portfolio case dimensions: 573 x 770 mm
Very good condition
Estimate: $13,000

Motherwell was inspired to do this series after passing his honeymoon in Madrid with then wife, artist Helen Frankenthaler (1928-2011). The texture of the plaster walls of their hotel proved an interesting surface to draw. In creating this series, Motherwell reproduced the feel of the hotel wall drawings by using lithographic transfer paper on Irwin Hollander's plaster walls. The complete edition is very rare to auction.

Robert Motherwell (American, 1915-1991)

Alongside Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Willem de Kooning, Robert Motherwell is considered one of the great American Abstract Expressionist painters. His esteemed intellect not only undergirded his gorgeous, expressive paintings—frequently featuring bold black shapes against fields of color—but also made Motherwell one of the leading writers, theorists, and advocates of the New York School. He forged close friendships with the European Surrealists and other intellectuals over his interests in poetry and philosophy, and as such served as a vital link between the pre-war avant-garde in Europe and its post-war counterpart in New York, establishing automatism and psychoanalysis as central concerns of American abstraction. He is best known for his mature work, recognizable for its graphic composition of saturated and expressive brushstrokes. In addition to his contributions in painting, Motherwell taught at Black Mountain College in North Carolina and Hunter College in New York, and was the editor of several influential books on art history. Motherwell’s works can be found in renowned museums worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Museum of Modern Art, New York; Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice; and the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo.

Condition

Minor soiling tears to the title pastedown on the portfolio case. The justification page has faint ink lines along the far margin edges and one very faint stain in the far left edge away from the text. Lithographs very clean. In overall very good condition.

Shipping costs excl. statutory VAT and plus 2,5% (+VAT) shipping insurance.