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Robert Rauschenberg — Breakthrough I
Robert Rauschenberg

Breakthrough I

1964

This monochromatic print presents a complex layering of photographic imagery and gestural marks characteristic of mid twentieth century experimental printmaking. The composition features fragmented photographs including architectural elements, a prominent hand, mechanical or industrial components, and various textural marks arranged in a seemingly chaotic yet deliberate manner across the paper surface. The overlapping and rotated images create a sense of visual depth and movement, inviting multiple readings of the assembled elements. The work exemplifies the artist's exploration of combining found imagery with printmaking techniques to create new meanings through juxtaposition and recontextualization.

Medium
paper
Overall

Notes

Contemporary Day Auction, Sotheby's, sale on 2026-05-15.

🔨 Auction Lot

Contemporary Day Auction

May 15, 2026

Estimate: $150,000$200,000

For Sale

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About this work

Robert Rauschenberg, Breakthrough I, 1964

This monochromatic print presents a complex layering of photographic imagery and gestural marks characteristic of mid twentieth century experimental printmaking. The composition features fragmented photographs including architectural elements, a prominent hand, mechanical or industrial components, and various textural marks arranged in a seemingly chaotic yet deliberate manner across the paper surface. The overlapping and rotated images create a sense of visual depth and movement, inviting multiple readings of the assembled elements. The work exemplifies the artist's exploration of combining found imagery with printmaking techniques to create new meanings through juxtaposition and recontextualization.

Medium
paper
Dimensions
overall: 0.105 x 75.9 cm
Year
1964
Seen at
Sotheby's, New York, London, Hong Kong, Paris

Related themes

Modernist Works, Mixed Media Print, Layered Composition, Modern Print, Conceptual Art, Assemblage Technique, Found Imagery, Experimental Printmaking, Abstract Expressionism, Black And White, Gestural Abstraction, Paper Medium, Contemporary Art, Sixties Art, Photographic Collage

More works by Robert Rauschenberg

Collected by

Sebastián In Situ, Sebastián Naranjo, Alex Capecelatro, Art Institute of Chicago, Gigi Rutkowski