Robert Motherwell: At Home and in the Studio

This exhibition celebrates the recent gift from the Dedalus Foundation of prints by Robert Motherwell and books from the artist’s home donated by his family. An additional group of books that he kept in his studios will join the Library’s other historically important book collections. Motherwell’s passion for reading ran the gamut from literature and philosophy to art history, and he was an especially avid reader of poetry. He amassed a library of more than 4,000 books, many of which he annotated, in his home in Greenwich, Connecticut, where he moved in 1971.

His prints reflect his preoccupation with the subconscious, which was a touchstone of the Modernist movement. Artists such as Motherwell sought to capture the universal qualities of human experience by exploring their innermost thoughts and feelings, a project that the American Modernists inherited from the Surrealist movement following World War II. Motherwell, who lived and worked in New York for most of his early career, was critical in shaping the impact of American Modernism. 

In addition to being a great artist, Motherwell was a respected teacher, critic, and editor. As early as 1944, he established the Documents of Modern Art series, which was an important contribution to the acceptance of Modernism in the United States.

The etchings, aquatints, lithographs, and screenprints on view showcase ways in which Motherwell’s range of imagery and subjects reflect his passion for reading. It is fascinating to see how the books that he cherished resonate in his art. This exhibition offers an enticing journey into who and what inspired one of the most influential visual artists of the 20th century. 

This exhibition is organized by The New York Public Library and curated by Clare Bell, Miriam & Ira D. Wallach Associate Director for Art, Prints and Photographs.

Also currently on view at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building

Visit Dynamic Duos: The Art of Working in Pairs in the Ispahani-Bartos Gallery (First Floor) and A Century of The New Yorker (Rayner Special Collections Wing and Print Gallery, Third Floor).

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• Browse titles related to Robert Motherwell in NYPL’s Research Catalog.
• Peruse Robert Motherwell’s prints in NYPL’s Digital Collections.
• Read about Robert Motherwell's Hermitage print, part of the Dedalus Foundation’s recent gift to The New York Public Library.

Established in 1987 thanks to a gift from the Wallach family, The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs unites what had formerly been five separate departments under a single banner. Divisional holdings comprise works of art, pictures, ephemera, as well as reference materials on painting, sculpture, drawing, printmaking, photography, and the history of architecture from prehistoric times to the present. The Wallach Division also serves as the access point to the Spencer Collection of fine bindings and illustrated books and the Picture Collection, founded in 1915, which is organized by subjects depicted. Together, these collections include more than two million works of items in various mediums and formats, complemented by nearly 700,000 monographs and periodicals. The quality, depth, and scope of these holdings have earned the Wallach Division an international reputation among a broad variety of scholars and lovers of art.

Access the exhibition's large print labels.

Robert Motherwell: At Home and in the Studio

Large-type labels are also available at the information desk in Astor Hall on the first floor of the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building.

I am grateful to the staff at the Dedalus Foundation for their unwavering support and scholarship around the gift and the exhibition. Most especially, I would like to thank Jack Flam, Past President; Katy Rogers, President; Monica McTighe, Archivist; and Morgan Spangle, Executive Director. 

At the Library, this gift of Motherwell’s prints first began under the leadership of William Kelly, and its completion was made possible by Brent Reidy, who succeeded him as the Andrew W. Mellon Director of the Research Libraries. Thank you to Franses Rodriguez, Deputy Director, who provided essential oversight of the exhibition throughout its various phases. Gratitude goes out to Denise Hibay, Astor Director for Collections and Research Services; Jason Baumann, Susan and Douglas Dillon Director for Collection Development and Global Studies; and his staff, most especially Irina Kirilina, Librarian Technician III. Matt Knutzen, Uris Director, Humanities and Social Sciences Research Division, was always on hand to lend his help and acumen. 

Within the Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs, special thanks goes out to Deirdre Donohue, Assistant Director, and Madeleine Viljoen, Curator, Print Collection and Spencer Collection. Margaret Glover, Librarian III; Alvaro Lazo, Specialist III; and Rebecca Szantyr, Specialist II deserve recognition for their ongoing stewardship of the prints. Becky Laughner, Interim Associate Director of Exhibitions; Sara Spink, Manager of Treasures Exhibitions; Amanda Raquel Dorval, Curatorial Associate; Natalie Ortiz, Administrative Coordinator, Exhibitions and Special Collections; and Paeton Horsch, Exhibitions Page, were instrumental in all phases of exhibition planning. Carl Auge, Installation Manager, oversaw all aspects of the build. Special acknowledgements go out to Ryan Douglass and Jake Hamill, Museum Maintainers, and Christopher Alzapiedi, Henry Ballate, Kelsey Glaser, Jermaine Neal, and Clayton Skidmore, Installation Assistants; in Conservation, Mary Oey, Emily Muller, and Addison Yu; and in the Registrar’s office, Deborah Straussman, Caryn Gedell, and Martin Branch-Shaw. The Digital and Communications teams at NYPL also provided critical assistance during all phases of implementation.