“Beside the Sea No. 64” is an artwork created by Robert Motherwell around 1963. The piece is rendered using gouache on paper and is classified under the Abstract Expressionism and Lyrical Abstraction movements. It falls within the abstract genre.
The artwork features a striking composition characterized by bold, sweeping strokes of blue on a white background. These primary blue forms extend from the bottom to the middle of the paper, creating an impressionistic depiction that resembles the crest of a wave or the arc of a seashore. The blue strokes are vivid and dynamic, suggestive of motion and fluidity. At the bottom part of the artwork, a contrasting expanse of orange provides a sharp demarcation, evoking the sensation of a sandy beach juxtaposed against the blue suggestive of water or sky. The simplicity of the forms and the limited color palette lend the piece a lyrical, almost meditative quality, encouraging viewers to contemplate the beauty of natural elements abstractly represented.
