
Rauschenberg’s White Paintings (1951): A Catalogue Raisonné Case Study
On October 18, 1951, Robert Rauschenberg wrote a letter to his gallerist, Betty Parsons, announcing a new series of work “dealing with the suspense, excitement, and body of an organic silence.” Despite an initially negative reception, his White Paintings have since been recognized as a critical precursor to Conceptualism and Minimalism. Rauschenberg felt it essential to maintain the pristine, white surface of the paintings, and, as such, allowed the series to be repainted and refabricated.
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