How is it that I knew and loved Franz Kline, but MoMA’s Abstract Expressionist New York was the first time I really appreciated Robert Motherwell?

New York, Franz Kline

No. 7, Franz Kline

Zinc Doors, Franz Kline

 I still have a lot of art historical catching up to do. This whole time it’s as if Robert Motherwell was waiting in the wings for me, so to speak.

Elegy 57, Robert Motherwell

Elegy to the Spanish Republic, Robert Motherwell

Beside the Sea, Robert Motherwell

Beside the Sea, above, is a new favorite of mine. Clearly, I love the stark palette with the bold, expressive brushstrokes. Both artist’s work vary much more than what I’m showing here. Yet the similarity is still distinct, and belies some of the difference that the exhibition stresses.

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