Robert Motherwell Paintings and Collages: A Catalogue Raisonné 1941 – 1991 Volume 3 - Flipbook - Page 11
This process of making new studio cards as works came to light contin-
The Provenance does not include art dealers and galleries to whom a
ued after Motherwell’s death, supervised by the Dedalus Foundation.
work was consigned; they are included only if they actually owned the
Although the information on the studio cards is not always com-
work. (If consignment information is relevant to the provenance, it is
plete, consistent, or accurate, the cards are a valuable source of infor-
dealt with in the Comments.) Gaps in the provenance are indicated by
mation about titles and changes in title, dates, revisions, exhibitions,
the phrase “unknown owner.”
and consignments. The numbering system on the studio cards estab-
Any unusual circumstances surrounding the provenance of a
lished different categories between paintings (P), collages (C), and
work are noted in the Comments rather than in the Provenance,
drawings (D), as well as monotypes (M) and hand-painted or unique
except for stolen works.
impressions of prints (U). Those categories, however, were rather
fluid during Motherwell’s lifetime (particularly P’s changed to D’s
exhibitions
and vice versa), and the Dedalus Foundation made further changes of
Solo and group exhibitions are listed separately and are arranged
category—not always accurate—posthumously. Sometimes works were
chronologically within each separate list. The abbreviated citations
given more than one studio number; and sometimes the studio num-
refer to the full citations given in the List of Exhibitions (see volume 1),
bers were incomplete, with the date or medium left blank, or replaced
in which solo and group exhibitions are also listed separately and
by fillers, such as asterisks, dashes, empty spaces, or question marks.
arranged chronologically within each separate list. When a work that
As the result of new information that has been discovered in the
appeared in an exhibition was reproduced in the exhibition catalogue,
course of our research, the medium category or date designated by the
the citation for that work is given under Exhibitions rather than
studio number for a work is sometimes different from the medium or
References. (If a work was illustrated in the exhibition catalogue but
date given in this catalogue raisonné.
not shown in the exhibition, it is cited in the References section.) In
If a studio number was not assigned to a work, this field is
citations of exhibition catalogues, the information is given in the fol-
excluded in the catalogue raisonné entry for that work (as opposed to
lowing order: venue (museum, gallery, library, etc.), city, year, cata-
saying “No studio number”).
logue number, and where in the catalogue the work is illustrated.
For example:
present owner
The present owner of each work is listed with the information and
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1969, cat. no. 253, illus. p. 231.
If a work was included in an exhibition of works from the per-
credit line provided by the owner. Some owners have wished to remain
manent collection at the institution that owns it, we do not include
anonymous and are listed with some variation of “Private collection.”
such a presentation of the work among the Exhibitions. But if the
If a work is known to have been destroyed, we note the circumstances
work was included in a monographic or thematic loan exhibition at
of its destruction, if known.
the institution that owns it, or in a show of recent acquisitions, that
exhibition is included here.
provenance
A traveling exhibition (one that was first shown at the orga-
The past owners of each work are listed in chronological order, begin-
nizing museum and then traveled to other institutions) is designated
ning with the first known owner after the work left the artist’s studio,
as such in italics set within parentheses, directly following the year:
and noting the year in which each owner acquired the work, when
(traveling).
known. The present owner is listed as the last entry in the Provenance
For example:
as well as on the Present Owner line. Auction sales are set in square
Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, 1983 (traveling), cat. no. 58, color
brackets and include the name of the auction house, the city, date, and
illus. p. 49; not shown in Los Angeles and Seattle.
lot number, and whether the work is illustrated in the auction catalogue.
Past owners have sometimes wished to remain anonymous and
are listed with some variation of “Private collection.”
If a work was destroyed, or is said to have been destroyed, while
A circulating exhibition is one that was organized by an institution but not shown first at that institution, and in most cases not
shown at all at the organizing institution. An exhibition that is categorized as “circulating” is listed under the organizing institution rather
still in the possession of the artist, the Provenance lists the owner as
than the first venue on the exhibition’s itinerary; it is described within
“The artist.” If Motherwell bought back a work after it had been sold
parentheses as “(circulating)” rather than “(traveling).” If a traveling or
to a collector or museum, he is listed as “Robert Motherwell” rather
circulating exhibition had different catalogues (or checklists) at differ-
than as “The artist.” For works that Motherwell left to the Dedalus
ent venues, the catalogue numbers for those exhibitions are listed in
Foundation, the first owner in the Provenance is “Dedalus Foundation.”
the catalogue entry by the venue’s city.
key to t he c at alo gue entries
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