Art Critic Barbara Rose Dies at 84, Leaving Legacy of Seminal Writing and Curatorial Work

Barbara Rose, the influential art critic and historian, died on December 25, 2020 at age 84 after battling breast cancer. Her 1965 Art in America article "ABC Art" introduced Minimalist artists like Frank Stella, Donald Judd, and Sol LeWitt to a wider audience. Rose championed painting during the 1970s when many declared the medium obsolete, curating exhibitions such as American Painting: The Eighties at the Grey Art Gallery in 1979. She authored numerous books including American Art since 1900: A Critical History (1967) and Painting after Postmodernism: Belgium-USA-Italy (2016). Born in Washington, D.C., she studied at Barnard College and Columbia University, where she earned a Ph.D. in 1984 despite not completing her doctorate. Rose wrote for publications including Artforum, Vogue, and New York magazine, and co-founded the Journal of Art. She taught at Sarah Lawrence and Hunter College, and served as director of galleries at University of California, Irvine and American University. Her film work included documentaries on Mark di Suvero and Lee Krasner. Rose received awards including the College Art Association's Distinguished Art Criticism Award in 1966 and 1969, and Spain's Order of Isabella the Catholic in 2010. She was married four times, including to artist Frank Stella, and is survived by her children and four grandchildren.