In 1973 Rothenberg found herself doodling a horse on a piece of canvas. She shortly began a series of paintings featuring a single horse, which, although representational, served as opportunities for the artist to experiment with abstraction. “I think it was a surrogate for dealing with a human being, but at the same time it was neutral enough and I had no emotional relationship to horses,” Rothenberg said of her horse motif. “The horse was just a quiet image. I was able to stick to the philosophy of the day—keeping the painting flat and anti-illusionist—but I also got to use this big, soft, heavy, strong, powerful form.”

Gallery label from

Susan Rothenberg, April 15, 2022 – June 12, 2022

Medium Acrylic and tempera on canvas
Dimensions 67 1/8" x 9' 7 3/8" (170.5 x 292.1 cm)
Credit Gift of Edward R. Broida
Object number 769.2005
Department Painting & Sculpture

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Susan Rothenberg

Susan Rothenberg

American, 1945–2020 44 works online

Born in Buffalo, New York, in 1945, Susan Rothenberg became interested in art at an early age, inspired by her grandfather, a house painter, and trips to Buffalo’s Albright-Knox Art Gallery.

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