No. 13 (From The Basque Suite) 1970

Robert Motherwell made this print, No. 13 from the Basque Suite, with lithography, using bold shapes and a striking palette of green, brown, red and white. The dark mass looming over the vivid green is classic Motherwell; heavy, gestural marks, shapes full of feeling. Up close, you can see the texture of the lithographic crayon on the stone, especially in that big brown shape. Look at how the green seems to sit beneath it, solid and flat like a stage. Then there is this little burst of red and white. A small gesture, but so loaded with feeling. A tiny flower? Or something more violent? Motherwell’s art is like a conversation across time. I always think of Goya’s dark visions when I see these shapes – heavy, dark, full of tragedy, but also a kind of strange beauty. It doesn’t resolve into one clear meaning. And that’s the point, right?