What Do You See? The Collection of Sidney Rothberg, Part II

Born in 1922 in Syracuse, NY, De Niro studied painting with Hans Hofmann in Provincetown as well as at the famed Black Mountain College under Josef Albers In 1946, at the age of 24, De Niro was the subject of his first solo exhibition at Peggy Guggeheim’s Art of this Century Gallery. 

Father to the eponymous actor, De Niro, Sr. is mostly known for his still lifes, which became a catalyst for blended abstraction as exemplified here. Although he was greatly influenced by Matisse, De Niro did not prioritize coloring and still gave great attention to what Leonardo called ‘a mental thing,’ which he hereby translates through washy, mellow black and white forms that echo the artist’s mind.