Lawrence Alloway's 1959 critique of The New American Painting exhibition at Tate Gallery
In March 2019, ArtReview republished Lawrence Alloway's article from 1959, which examines The New American Painting exhibition at London's Tate Gallery. This showcase features seventeen Abstract Expressionist artists, including Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Willem De Kooning. Alloway contrasts this with a simultaneous Russian painting exhibition at the Royal Academy, pointing out its shortcomings. He asserts that American artists surpass their European counterparts, commending Rothko's mastery of color and Still's spatial dynamics, while criticizing the inclusion of less impressive artists. Additionally, he remarks on the poor arrangement of artworks at the Tate and notes that Arshile Gorky and William Baziotes established their mature styles in the mid-1940s. The original article was published on 14 March 1959.
Key facts
- Lawrence Alloway's article was originally published on 14 March 1959 and republished by ArtReview in March 2019.
- The article critiques The New American Painting exhibition at the Tate Gallery in London.
- Seventeen Abstract Expressionist artists were featured, including Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Willem De Kooning.
- Alloway contrasts the exhibition with a Russian painting show at the Royal Academy, criticizing the latter for withholding best works.
- The exhibition was organized by the International Council of the Museum of Modern Art, New York.
- Alloway argues Europe cannot match eight key American painters: Pollock, Rothko, Still, Newman, De Kooning, Kline, Gottlieb, and Guston.
- He critiques the omission of Hans Hofmann and the inclusion of Grace Hartigan, Theodoros Stamos, and Sam Francis.
- Alloway faults the Tate's hanging, noting poor placement such as De Kooning cramped by a doorway.
Entities
Artists
- Lawrence Alloway
- Jackson Pollock
- Mark Rothko
- Clyfford Still
- Barnett Newman
- Willem De Kooning
- Franz Kline
- Adolph Gottlieb
- Philip Guston
- Hans Hoffmann
- Sam Francis
- Grace Hartigan
- Theodoros Stamos
- Arshile Gorky
- William Baziotes
- Robert Motherwell
- Hans Hofmann
- Norman Bluhm
- Bradley Walker Tomlin
- Jack Tworkov
- Graham Sutherland
- Victor Pasmore
- William Scott
- Francis Bacon
- Roger Hilton
- John Piper
- Andrew Moynihan
- Ceri Richards
- Alberto Giacometti
- Jean Dubuffet
- Jean Fautrier
- Lucio Fontana
- Asger Jorn
- Pablo Picasso
- Paul Klee
- Joan Miró
- Arthur Dove
- Paul Gauguin
- Stéphane Mallarmé
- André Breton
- Alfred Barr
- A.C. Ritchie
- T.B. Hess
- Sam Hunter
- Roger Coleman
- Dr Sandberg
Institutions
- ArtReview
- Tate Gallery
- Royal Academy
- Museum of Modern Art, New York
- International Council of the Museum of Modern Art, New York
- Guggenheim Museum, New York
- ICA
- Independent Group
- British Council
- Contemporary Art Society
- Stedelijk Museum
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- New York
- United States
- Amsterdam
- Netherlands