Robert Motherwell - Evening & Day Editions New York Tuesday, April 21, 2015 | Phillips

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  • Literature

    Siri Engberg and Joan Banach 445.1-22; and 446-467

  • Artist Biography

    Robert Motherwell

    American • 1915 - 1991

    One of the youngest proponents of the Abstract Expressionist movement, Robert Motherwell rose to critical acclaim with his first solo exhibition at Peggy Guggenheim's Art of This Century gallery in 1944. Not only was Motherwell one of the major practicing Abstract Expressionist artists, he was, in fact, the main intellectual driving force within the movement—corralling fellow New York painters such as Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Hans Hoffman and William Baziotes into his circle. Motherwell later coined the term the "New York School", a designation synonymous to Abstract Expressionism that loosely refers to a wide variety of non-objective work produced in New York between 1940 and 1960.

    During an over five-decade-long career, Motherwell created a large and powerful body of varied work that includes paintings, drawings, prints and collages. Motherwell's work is most generally characterized by simple shapes, broad color contrasts and a dynamic interplay between restrained and gestural brushstrokes. Above all, it demonstrates his approach to art-making as a response to the complexity of lived, and importantly felt, experience.

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42

Ulysses portfolio and book

1988
The complete deluxe set of 62 etchings, including the suite of 22 etchings (20 in colors) and the bound set of 40 etchings (comprised of 22 line etchings, 20 in colors, and 18 etched Roman numerals), on Johannot paper, with full margins, with novel by James Joyce, the suite loose and the book bound (as issued),
portfolio: 13 3/4 x 10 5/8 in (34.9 x 27 cm)
book: 13 5/8 x 11 in (34.6 x 27.9 cm)

the loose prints signed with initials and numbered 31/150 in pencil, the book signed and numbered in pencil on the limitation page (there were also 5 artist's proofs in Roman numerals), published by Arion Press, San Francisco, the suite in original individual paper folders and contained in original blue silk-covered box with accompanying edition information, the book contained in original blue silk-covered cover with leather trim and matching slipcase.

Estimate
$20,000 - 30,000 

Sold for $47,500

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Director Modern Editions
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Evening & Day Editions

New York Auctions 21 April 2015