Figure in Black (Girl with Stripes)

Robert Motherwell, Figure in Black (Girl with Stripes), 1947, oil and paper on fiberboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Dedalus Foundation and museum purchase, 1995.2.1, © 1994 Dedalus Foundation, Inc.
Robert Motherwell, Figure in Black (Girl with Stripes), 1947, oil and paper on fiberboard, 23 7819 34 in. (60.750.2 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Dedalus Foundation and museum purchase, 1995.2.1, © 1994 Dedalus Foundation, Inc.

Artwork Details

Title
Figure in Black (Girl with Stripes)
Date
1947
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
23 7819 34 in. (60.750.2 cm.)
Copyright
© 1994 Dedalus Foundation, Inc.
Credit Line
Gift of the Dedalus Foundation and museum purchase
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil and paper on fiberboard
Classifications
Subjects
  • Figure female
  • Abstract
Object Number
1995.2.1

Artwork Description

The black stripes at the right of Figure in Black (Girl with Stripes) can be read as long, painted strokes executed by a figure who looks directly out at the viewer. In it Motherwell asserts the primal act of the artist and links the simple black stick figure with prehistoric painters who applied marks to the walls of ancient caves. In 1947 Motherwell remarked that all the figures in his paintings were self-portraits, and he related the color ochre to his childhood in Southern California. “Certain childhood impressions last a lifetime. …The color I’ve consistently used throughout my painting life has been yellow ochre, and the hills of California most of the year are yellow ochre.”

Modern Masters: Midcentury Abstraction from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2008

Works by this artist (16 items)

Robert Motherwell, Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, 1973, color lithograph poster, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Telamon Editions Limited, 1976.152.2
Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra
Date1973
color lithograph poster
Not on view
Robert Motherwell, Untitled, from the portfolio Ten Works x Ten Painters, 1964, color screenprint and collage on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1965.37.1D, © 1964, Wadsworth Atheneum
Untitled, from the portfolio Ten Works x Ten Painters
Date1964
color screenprint and collage on paper
Not on view
Robert Motherwell, Capriccio, 1961, color collotype and photo-silkscreen on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1965.47
Capriccio
Date1961
color collotype and photo-silkscreen on paper
Not on view
Robert Motherwell, Untitled, 1966, lithograph on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Woodward Foundation, 1976.108.88
Untitled
Date1966
lithograph on paper
Not on view