1911, Santiago, Chile – 2002, Civitavecchia, Italy
Untitled, before 1981
Lithography on paper, 55,5 х 75,5cm
Insription b.r. (handwritten signature)
Acquisition: Gift
Reference: 03092
Biography
Roberto Sebastián Antonio Matta Echaurren (Spanish: [roˈβeɾto ˈmata]; November 11, 1911 – November 23, 2002), better known as Roberto Matta, was one of Chile’s best-known painters and a seminal figure in 20th century abstract expressionist and surrealist art across the Americas and Europe. Matta was of Spanish, Basque and French descent. Born in Santiago, he studied architecture and interior design at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile in Santiago, and graduated in 1935. That spring, he journeyed from Peru to Panama and completed surreal drawings of many of the geographical features he witnessed. He first encountered Europe while serving in the Merchant Marine after graduating. His travels in Europe and the USA led him to meet artists such as Arshile Gorky, René Magritte, Salvador Dalí, André Breton, and Le Corbusier.
