Artist
Roberto MattaChilean, 1911–2002
CultureChilean
Titles
- Angoisse (Anguish)
Date1942
Made inUnited States
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions38 1/4 × 51 1/4 in. (97.2 × 130.2 cm)
Credit LineThe Joseph and Sylvia Slifka Collection
Object number2004.144
Current Location
The Nancy and Rich Kinder Building
Gallery 203
On view
Explore Further
Department
Latin American ArtObject Type
allied himself with the Paris Surrealists in 1937,
embracing automatic drawing techniques and
psychologically charged subjects. Two years
later, he joined the wave of Europeans who
found refuge from the war in New York. Matta
made several paintings titled Anguish during
this time; the acidic palette and cataclysmic
imagery in this example distills his horrified
response to global conflict as a blackened sun
and bombers hover over a landscape consumed
by flames.
ProvenanceThe artist; [Pierre Matisse Gallery, New York]; Joseph and Sylvia Slifka Collection, New York; estate of Joseph and Sylvia Slifka, New York; given to MFAH, 2004.
Exhibition History“Acquisitions of the Last Five Years: Selections of Modern and Contemporary Art,” The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, July 15–October 15, 2005.
"North Looks South: Building the Latin American Art Collection," The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, June 7–September 27, 2009.
"Intersecting Modernities: Latin American Art from The Brillembourg Capriles Collection," The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, June 20–September 2, 2013.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks
Back label: pierre matisse gallery / 41 EAST 57 ST. NEW YORK 22, N.Y. / Artist: matta, 1942 / Title: angoisse / Number: nn 54
Cataloguing data may change with further research.
If you have questions about this work of art or the MFAH Online Collection please contact us.
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1943–1945
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Synthetic polymer paint, oil, screenprint, and assemblage on canvas
2011.1074
