Untitled, 1943

Robert Motherwell (1915-1991) was an Abstract Expressionist painter and seminal figure of the movement that included Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko and Willem de Kooning. An eloquent speaker, Motherwell became the voice of the group through his lectures and publications. His paintings are characterised by the influence of Surrealist automatic drawing, with bold, expressive brushstrokes that convey a sense of intuition.