Robert Motherwell & Helen Frankenthaler – A Match Made in Heaven

They came from similar backgrounds; both were wildly popular and well-respected among their circle of friends and within the artist community. They both had achieved success in their respective careers, and after a brief whirlwind relationship, they decided to unite their lives in marriage.

Although the couple approached art with different techniques and had a different style, their shared interest in art, coupled with the love they had for each other, was enough to convince the world that their marriage was like something out of a fairytale.

Robert Motherwell and Helen Frankenthaler were both important American Abstract Expressionist artists. Although their marriage would only last 13 years, their time together and their contribution to the art world made a lasting impression.

Who is Robert Motherwell?

Robert Motherwell was born on January 24, 1915 in Aberdeen, Washington. He is referred to as one of the founders of Abstract Expressionism. He is best known for adding accidental elements to his work, which characterized his unique painting style. Motherwell is also recognized for his mastery of the art of collage.

After receiving a scholarship to study art at just eleven years old, Motherwell went on to earn degrees in aesthetics from Stanford and Harvard.

Largely self-taught, Motherwell’s paintings captured attention worldwide for their simplicity and embodiment of the Abstract Expressionism movement. He is best known for his painting Elegy to the Spanish Republic series.

Motherwell played an important role as one of the earliest Abstract Expressionists which occurred post-World War II. 

Other known artists of the movement included Jackson Pollock, Max Ernst, Willem de Kooning, Adolph Gottlieb, and Robert Motherwell himself.

Who is Helen Frankenthaler?

Born December 12, 1928, Helen Frankenthaler was best known as the creator of the “soak-stain” process that is used in Abstract art. 

She was born into a wealthy Manhattan family, which allowed her to study art from a young age. Their frequent vacations during her childhood enabled her to develop a fondness for nature and a love of the ocean. These inspirational factors are revealed through her art from the start of her career.

Broome-street-at-night

Helen Frankenthaler developed a technique she called the “soak-stain” method. This method is applied by pouring a mixture of turpentine and oil paints onto a canvas, and This is how she produced her most famous painting, Mountains and Sea.

“Frankenthaler’s mastery of paint reveals her training under influential and accomplished instructors. She studied with Rufino Tamayo while at the Dalton School, New York, with Paul Feeley (1910-66) at Bennington College, Vermont (1946-9), and privately with Wallace Harrison in 1949 and Hans Hofmann in 1950. In that year she met Clement Greenberg, and through him, became acquainted with Willem and Elaine de Kooning, David Smith, Jackson Pollock, Lee Krasner, Barnett Newman and other members of the New York School.”

-Hollis Taggart Galleries

Frankenthaler was one of the most renowned female artists of the American Abstract Expressionist movement. Other prominent American female artists from this era include Joan Mitchell, Lee Krasner and Grace Hartigan.

The Meeting of Two Brilliant Minds

Despite having an age difference of over thirteen years, Frankenthaler and Motherwell started an intense and brief relationship. They were often spotted around the general social circles of Abstract Expressionist artists of the time, making it highly probable that they were introduced by friends.

Almost immediately, they found themselves in an intense and brief romance and in no time at all the couple planned to marry.

After their wedding, they traveled together and worked on their art. Eventually, they would go on to raise their two daughters, Lise and Jeannie.

Married to Their Work and Each Other

The two continued to work side by side for the duration of their marriage. Most experts say there was no mistaking a Motherwell painting from a Frankenthaler.

But they shared some similarities in style during this time period. One example is the use of specific color tones in their work. Use of the same colors seems to indicate that the couple shared paint supplies.

Later in life, Frankenthaler was asked what period of time she would most like to revisit. Her answer? “The first few years with Bob”. For the pair, this was an intense time of happiness, travel, and art creation that the couple would cherish for the rest of their lives.

The End of an Era

In 1971, Motherwell and Frankenthaler decided to divorce after thirteen years of marriage.

Both continued to paint and became faculty members at different prestigious schools. Motherwell taught at Hunter College, while Frankenthaler taught at Harvard, Princeton, and Yale.

Both were remarried, and they both taught art during their latter years of life.

Motherwell died in 1991, and Frankenthaler in 2011 at the age of 83.

Learn more about Helen Frankenthaler

View our currently available works of art by Helen Frankenthaler or works of art by Robert Motherwell, please contact us at Dane Fine Art for assistance. We are happy to answer any questions and help you find the artwork you are looking for.