Considered one of the greatest Abstract Expressionist painters, Motherwell was unusual among his contemporaries because of his interest in and mastery of printmaking. Motherwell's main objective in his work was to strip art bare and communicate the most universal of feelings – joy, fear, anxiety, sensuality or sorrow. His use of primary colors raises the notion of the symbolic nature of color to an almost philosophical height. The present work is a stunning example of the artist's frequent use of bold, black shapes against bright fields of color. This specific color combination of red and black are used in the artists most coveted oeuvre.