Robert Motherwell

1 8.5

An American painter who made bold abstract paintings

proper noun
/ˈrɒbərt ˈmʌðərwɛl/

: Robert Motherwell

The museum organized a retrospective of Robert Motherwell's works spanning five decades.

Examples

The paintings of Robert Motherwell are celebrated for their bold forms and emotional depth.
As a leading figure in abstract expressionism, Robert Motherwell influenced generations of artists.
The famous abstract expressionist painter Robert Motherwell inspired many artists.
Is Robert Motherwell your favorite artist?
As a leading figure in abstract expressionism, Robert Motherwell influenced generations of artists.
The museum organized a retrospective of Robert Motherwell's works spanning five decades.
The paintings of Robert Motherwell are celebrated for their bold forms and emotional depth.

Surface Forms

Robert Motherwell main

Morphology

Robert + Motherwell

This is a proper name referring to a specific individual; knowing the surface constituents ('Robert' and 'Motherwell') does not convey that the referent is an abstract expressionist painter or give biographical information. Proper names are referential and language-/culture-specific, so a B1 learner who knows the words would not be able to derive the MWE's meaning without prior exposure.

Etymology

Robert Motherwell became famous for a group of paintings with large black shapes on white backgrounds called his 'Elegies'. Because those strong, simple images moved many people, his name now stands for bold, emotional abstract painting.