Robert Motherwell (1915-1991) 'Eternal Black' from the Artist's Book 'El Negro', 1983 Lithograph on wove paper Published by Tyler Graphics, New York Sheet 15 x 14-3/4 inches In a brass frame, floated and framed under acrylic 17 3/4 x 17 1/4 inches
The Artist's Book 'El Negro' is comprised of nineteen lithographs. The colophon, or justification page, is numbered and signed, however the individual works included were not.
An edition of this print is included in the De Young/Legion of Honor San Francisco Museum of Fine Arts permanent collection (accession # 2000.200.55.8), the Tate Modern UK (reference# P12171).
As a response to a poem written by Spanish poet and painter Rafael Alberti, Motherwell created a sequence of nineteen lithographs. Motherwell and Kenneth Tyler collaborated from 1981 to 1983 in the design and creation of the artist's book or 'livre de peintre' known as El Negro Motherwell. Motherwell made his images on prepared mylar and acetate sheets using Paintstiks, grease pencils, a alcohol tusche he applied with brushes or a bamboo pen. These images were transferred to aluminum plates and then the lithographs were printed on a flat bed offset press on handmade paper.
