Basque Suite #5

Robert Motherwell (American, 1915-1991)
Basque Suite #5
Screen print artist proof
49 x 36 inches

Robert Motherwell, trained originally in philosophy, graduated from the School of Art History and Architecture at Columbia University, New York in 1940 and joined a group of artists

This print uses orange-yellow, red, black, and green inks. A vertical rectangle, the print has rough edges. The top five inches of the print form a thick, horizontal, kelly green band. In the center of the print is a large black and white element–it is gestural like Japanese calligraphy but also features several ink splotches. The ink forms a thick, pointed oval, bordered on the right by a highly texturized design. This black and white item, the focal point of the print, may relate to a natural or cultural object from the Basque region of Spain. The background is orange-yellow, but is less even and more texturized due to the artist’s swirling and manipulation of the ink with tools such as a squeegee. From the bottom right corner, a diagonal red mark extends towards the right edge of the print. The work is signed in ink on the bottom left corner of the print and in pencil on white paper below the right corner of the print.