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Seated Figure, 1971 -
Nude Leaning on Back of Chair, 1970
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Seated Figure and Flowers in a Vase, 1970
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Seated Figure, 1971
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Nude Leaning on Back of Chair, 1970
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Seated Figure and Flowers in a Vase, 1970
Robert De Niro Sr. was an American painter associated with the New York School, best known for expressive figurative and abstract works that combine bold color, gestural brushwork, and a strong commitment to painterly tradition. Working in New York from the postwar period onward, De Niro developed a distinctive practice that resisted strict categorization, blending Abstract Expressionism with figurative structure and art-historical reference.
Born in Syracuse, New York, De Niro studied at Black Mountain College, where he was influenced by Josef Albers’s emphasis on color theory and disciplined experimentation. He later trained under Hans Hofmann, whose teachings on push-pull dynamics and chromatic intensity profoundly shaped De Niro’s approach to composition. These formative experiences grounded his work in modernist principles while encouraging expressive freedom.
De Niro’s paintings are characterized by thick impasto, energetic brushwork, and saturated color. While often gestural, his compositions retain a sense of structure and figuration, drawing on sources ranging from Matisse and Bonnard to Cézanne. Landscapes, interiors, and still lifes recur throughout his oeuvre, serving as frameworks for color-driven exploration rather than descriptive representation. His work reflects a belief in painting as a sensual, materially engaged practice.
Although associated with Abstract Expressionism, De Niro remained somewhat outside the movement’s dominant narratives. He rejected both total abstraction and overt symbolism, favoring a middle ground that allowed emotional expression without abandoning recognizable form. This independence, coupled with shifts in critical taste, contributed to periods of relative neglect during his lifetime.
Today, Robert De Niro Sr. is increasingly recognized as an important figure in postwar American painting. His work is held in major public collections, including the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.