Robert Motherwell
A look at Robert Motherwell’s painting, Little Spanish Prison.
Robert Motherwell lived from 1915 until 1991. He was one of the few abstract Expressionists that was born in California. Robert was born into a family that had some degree of affluence. His father worked in banking and Robert attended Stanford University, Harvard University, and Columbia University. He earned a Ph.D. in philosophy and was intellectual. Robert ended up being the spokesman for the group many times, and he also published some books on art. A difference than the rest of the Abstract Expressionists who came from immigrant working-class backgrounds. Robert Motherwell worked in a figurative mode early in his career. He was one of the only Abstract Expressionists that created overtly political works that meshed with his educated awareness of politics and history of the world. As opposed to a macho physicality of painting that seemed to characterize some of the other Abstract Expressionists. Little Spanish Prison came from 1941. It's an oil on canvas and it uses very simple forms that when repairing the title with the painting it becomes representative. The yellow lines become bars and then we don't know if the red bar is a figure looking out or it's the lock on the door. There is a feeling of being done by hand. The lines are straight and you can see modulation of color. It is understood to be a reference to the Spanish Civil War. Franco defeated the Republican forces and became the dictator of Spain. He was the dictator of Spain until the early 1970s. It shocked the world that the Republic just fell and became a dictatorship. It was shocking and then followed up by all of the horrors of World War Two. Robert Motherwell was very knowledgeable and interested in Spanish and Mexican history. He went to travel in Mexico. In regards to the Mexican Revolution, the idea of the people and risk redistribution of land and wealth was interesting and he supported that as he did the fight against the dictatorship of Franco. When people hear the name, Robert Motherwell. They think of the elegy of the spit to the Spanish Republic series.
I really hope you enjoyed this analysis of Robert Motherwell. Until next time my friends.
-Monee’ B.
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