In the Palm of Dawn
Roberto Matta once described his abstract paintings as "psychological morphologies." His epic surreal canvases from the 1940s and 1950s depict cosmic landscapes populated by bold hovering shapes. The atmospheric quality of In the Palm of Dawn contributes to set the mood of a dramatic scene capturing the fluctuating energy of natural forces. When Matta painted this work in 1953, his abstract imagery started to gradually incorporate social messages as he became more politically engaged.
Artwork Details
- Title: In the Palm of Dawn
- Artist: Roberto Matta (Chilean, Santiago 1911–2002 Civitavecchia, Italy)
- Date: 1953
- Medium: Oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 46 7/16 × 68 1/2 in. (118 × 174 cm)
- Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Gift of Mireille and James Levy, 2021
- Object Number: 2021.2.11
- Rights and Reproduction: © 2025 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
- Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Multiple artists/makers
1965
Roberto Matta
Katzenbach & Warren, Inc.
ca. 1949
Roberto Matta
1962
Multiple artists/makers
1942-
Roberto Matta
1941
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.