NEW YORK, NY.- Moss Galleries is presenting a retrospective honoring the extraordinary talent and artistic vision of abstract painter Judith Rothschild (1921–1993). Judith Rothschild Retrospective: Six Decades of Color and Abstraction features 21 works by Rothschild curated by both Elizabeth Moss and a leading Anonymous Abstract Curator including paintings, collages, and works on paper from the 1940s through the 1990s. On view from July 18 to August 14 at Moss Galleries in Portland, the exhibition offers a rare glimpse into the evolution of this remarkable artist.

Judith Rothschild (1921–1993) was a trailblazer in the art world, her unique style combined strong outlines with bold swaths of color, creating dynamic and visually striking compositions. In the later years of her career, Rothschild delved into relief paintings, employing white foamboard, later painted metal “cutout” forms, against colored backgrounds to create depth and texture in her works.


Judith Rothschild, Forest, 1957. Oil on canvas, 40 x 44 1/4 in.


With a special connection to Maine, Rothschild's artistic legacy is also celebrated in the public collections of the Portland Museum of Art and the Farnsworth Art Museum. The artist had ties to Maine through her brother, Robert F. Rothschild, who spent summers in Dark Harbor on Isleboro.

Highlighting the exhibition is the iconic relief painting Cape Scene I, 1974, previously exhibited at the Portland Museum of Art in 1988. Additionally, the evocative painting Dark Harbor, 1967, offers a glimpse into Judith's visit to her brother's home in Dark Harbor, Maine, infusing her work with personal narratives and memories.


Judith Rothschild, Brocade Interior, 1950. Mixed media, collage and gouache on board, 8 x 10 in.


Elizabeth Moss, owner of Moss Galleries, shared her enthusiasm for the exhibition, stating, "We are honored to showcase the groundbreaking works of Judith Rothschild, a true innovator in the world of abstract art. This retrospective offers a rare opportunity to experience the artistic evolution of a visionary artist whose impact continues to resonate today."

Judith Rothschild was an abstract painter whose work mediated the ground between abstraction and representation, fusing the two. Rothschild was born in New York City in 1921. She graduated from Wellesley College in 1943 and studied art at Cranbrook Academy and at the Art Students League with Reginald Marsh, and then with Hans Hofmann in his studio. Rothschild also worked at Hayter's Atelier 17 in 1943. In 1945, she became a member of the Jane Street Gallery, which was New York's first artist cooperative. In 1946, Rothschild was elected to membership of the American Abstract Artists Association and later served as president. Rothschild was an early member of the cooperative Long Point Gallery in Provincetown with Robert Motherwell.


Judith Rothschild, Dark Harbor, 1967. Oil on canvas, 42 x 34 in.


Her work is included in the collections of more than 50 institutions worldwide including: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum; The Metropolitan Museum of Art; National Gallery of Art; Whitney Museum of American Art; Museum of Modern Art; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; Philadelphia Museum of Art; The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C.; Art Institute of Chicago; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Tate Modern, London; Musee National d'art Moderne, Paris; Centre Pompidou, Paris; and Sammlung Ludwig Museum, Aachen, Germany.

Judith Rothschild's last museum retrospective exhibition Judith Rothschild: An Artist’s Search began its tour at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, in 1998, traveled to The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. in 1999, and concluded at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in 2001. The exhibition was accompanied by a monograph authored by the renowned art historian and critic, Jack Flam. Her final solo exhibition was held at the Von der Heydt Museum in Wuppertal, Germany in 2003.


Judith Rothschild, Christmas Still Life, 1954. Oil on canvas, 24 x 20 in.


In 2004, with the dream of being at the forefront of recognizing Maine’s role in American Art, Elizabeth Moss created Moss Galleries in Falmouth, Maine. Over the course of 17 years, Elizabeth and her team have established a gallery of national and international repute, recently being named one of the top 500 Galleries in North America by ArtInfo. The gallery represents a plethora of artists who create in a vast range of artistic styles ranging from abstract to traditional seascapes. Moss Galleries strives to highlight Maine artists and their role in the American art scene at large, as well as the importance Maine plays in each of their works. Moss Galleries has locations in Portland and Falmouth, Maine.