Roberto Matta, 1911 – 2002

The 21 Most Famous Roberto Matta Paintings, Ranked

The best-loved painting by Roberto Matta is Being With (Être Avec) (1946), which hangs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Untitled (1959) and The Disasters of Mysticism (1942) come next among the canvases readers know best. Our catalogue holds 21 works by Roberto Matta: here are the 21 most famous, each with its year, its museum and what makes it memorable.

Ranked by our popularity score, which combines the searches, visits and orders for each work. Updated October 2026.

Roberto Matta · 1911 – 2002

Born · died: 1911 – 2002, Santiago
Movement: Surrealism
Works in our catalogue: 21
Most famous: Being With (Être Avec) (1946)
Most works at: Israel Museum

Top 10 Roberto Matta paintings: the canvases everyone knows

Being With (Être Avec)

1946 · Acrylic On Canvas · Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Roberto Matta's "Being With" (1946) isn’t merely a painting; it’s an immersion into the fractured, dreamlike landscape of the subconscious. Painted during his formative years in New York City – a period deeply influenced by the anxieties and transformations following World War II – this monumental canvas pulsates with a potent blend of Surrealist imagery, architectural distortion, and unsettling human forms. Matta, a Chilean artist who navigated the currents of…

The story of the painting

Untitled

1959 · Israel Museum, Jerusalem

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The Disasters of Mysticism

1942

Roberto Matta painted

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Writing One's Cry (Ecrire son cri)

1975 · Israel Museum, Jerusalem

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Munda y desnuda, la libertad contra la opresión (Worldly and Nude, Freedom Against Oppression)

1986 · Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid

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Les Oh! Tomobiles

1972 · Etching · Inter-American Development Bank, Washington, D.C.

Roberto Matta’s "Les Oh! Tomobiles" immediately plunges the viewer into a dreamscape of mechanical whimsy and collective motion. This arresting black and white etching is not merely a depiction of objects in transit; it is a visual symphony capturing the restless energy of the mid-20th century, filtered through the profound lens of Surrealism. The composition itself feels like a captured moment from a feverish parade—a collision between the grounded reality…

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Being With (Être Avec)

1946 · Oil On Canvas · Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Being With (Être Avec) is an artwork by Roberto Matta. Created in 1946, the piece emerged during a period when the artist was living in New York City. The work reflects the psychological and social shifts occurring in the aftermath of World War II.

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Snail's Trace

1937

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Composition

1937

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The Composition with Green Tones

1939

Dated 1939,

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More Roberto Matta canvases, 11 to 21

#11

I Walk

1947 · Israel Museum

#12

I Walk

1947 · Israel Museum

#13

The Onyx of Electra

1944

#14

My Blind

1946

#15

Inscape

1949 · Israel Museum

#16

The Spherical Roof Around our Tribe (Revolvers)

1952

#17

Glittering the Being

1955 · Art Institute of Chicago

#18

The Sphinx of DNA

1996 · Israel Museum

#19

Senza titolo

2009 · Fondazione Hospice Seràgnoli Onlus

In the work of Roberto Sebastiàn Matta there is an evident eclecticism of imageries that nourished his art. Primal and eternal figures where deities that seem to hail…

#20

Verbo América

1997 · Inter-American Development Bank

In the profound depths of Verbo América, we encounter the transcendent spirit of Roberto Matta, one of the most influential architects of the subconscious. Created in 1997, this…

#21

Untitled

1949

Gestural marks and abstract forms characterize this untitled composition by Matta. They exemplify the artist’s application of "automatic" techniques associated with Surrealism, to which he was introduced by…

What Roberto Matta painted most

The four subjects that return most often on these canvases, each with its best-loved example.

Dreamlike 2 works

#6 Les Oh! Tomobiles 1972 · Inter-American Development Bank

#8 Snail's Trace 1937

Abstract 2 works

#20 Verbo América 1997 · Inter-American Development Bank

#8 Snail's Trace 1937

Where Roberto Matta's canvases hang

The 6 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.

Museum	City	Works by Roberto Matta	Paintings from this list
Israel Museum	Jerusalem	6	Untitled, Writing One's Cry (Ecrire son cri), I Walk
Metropolitan Museum of Art	New York	2	Being With (Être Avec), Being With (Être Avec)
Inter-American Development Bank	Washington, D.C.	2	Les Oh! Tomobiles, Verbo América
Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía	Madrid	1	Munda y desnuda, la libertad contra la opresión (Worldly and Nude, Freedom Against Oppression)
Art Institute of Chicago	Chicago	1	Glittering the Being
Fondazione Hospice Seràgnoli Onlus	Bologna	1	Senza titolo

Roberto Matta's best-loved canvas of each decade

1930s

Canvas 8 of 21
Snail's Trace
Age 19 – 28
1940s

Canvas 1 of 21
Being With (Être Avec)
Age 29 – 38 · Metropolitan Museum of Art
Roberto Matta's "Being With" (1946) isn’t merely a painting; it’s an immersion into the fractured, dreamlike landscape of the subconscious. Painted during his formative years in New York…
1950s

Ranked 2 of 21
Untitled
Age 39 – 48 · Israel Museum
1970s

4 of 21
Writing One's Cry (Ecrire son cri)
Age 59 – 68 · Israel Museum
1980s

Ranked 5 of 21
Munda y desnuda, la libertad contra la opresión (Worldly and Nude, Freedom Against Oppression)
Age 69 – 78 · Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía
1990s

Canvas 18 of 21
The Sphinx of DNA
Age 79 – 88 · Israel Museum

About Roberto Matta's canvases: your questions answered

What is the best-known painting by Roberto Matta?Read the answer

Being With (Être Avec) (1946), Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Untitled (1959) and The Disasters of Mysticism (1942) follow.

What age was Roberto Matta when Being With (Être Avec) was painted?Read the answer

Roberto Matta, born in 1911, was 35 years old: Being With (Être Avec) dates from 1946.

What are the 10 most famous paintings by Roberto Matta?Read the answer

Being With (Être Avec), Untitled, The Disasters of Mysticism, Writing One's Cry (Ecrire son cri), Munda y desnuda, la libertad contra la opresión (Worldly and Nude, Freedom Against Oppression), Les Oh! Tomobiles, Being With (Être Avec), Snail's Trace, Composition and The Composition with Green Tones. Each canvas in the ranking above comes with its year and its museum.

How many works did Roberto Matta paint in all?Read the answer

21 works by Roberto Matta are in our catalogue, dated 1937 to 1997.

Where can I see Roberto Matta's most famous canvases?Read the answer

Mostly in Israel Museum (Jerusalem), Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York) and Inter-American Development Bank (Washington, D.C.); the list above names each museum and its canvases.

When did Roberto Matta paint the best-loved canvases?Read the answer

In 1940s, which gave 9 of the 21 works on this page, Being With (Être Avec) among them.

Which are Roberto Matta's earliest and latest famous canvases?Read the answer

The earliest canvas here is Snail's Trace (1937); the latest is Verbo América (1997).

What did Roberto Matta paint most often?Read the answer

Dreamlike (2) and Abstract (2), across the 21 works on this page.

Which movement is Roberto Matta's painting part of?Read the answer

Surrealism, as the canvases on this page show.

Which Roberto Matta canvases hang at the Israel Museum?Read the answer

The Israel Museum, Jerusalem holds 6 of the works on this page, among them Untitled, Writing One's Cry (Ecrire son cri) and I Walk.

Roberto Matta: a life in paint

Roberto Matta: A Surrealist Visionary

Born: November 11, 1911, Santiago, Chile
Died: March 23, 2002, Civitavecchia, Italy

Roberto Sebastián Antonio Matta Echaurren, known as Roberto Matta, was a Chilean painter and architect who significantly impacted abstract expressionism and surrealist art. His journey from architecture student to influential artist reflects a profound exploration of the subconscious mind and a unique artistic vision.

Early Life and Artistic Development

Education: Studied architecture at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, graduating in 1935.
European Influences: Travels to Europe exposed him to prominent artists like René Magritte, Salvador Dalí, André Breton, and Le Corbusier, shaping his artistic style.
Surrealist Engagement: Became a key figure within the Surrealist movement, embracing its exploration of dreams, the subconscious, and challenging conventional reality. His work was heavily influenced by Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theories.

Key Artistic Characteristics and Influences

Biomorphic Forms: Matta’s paintings are characterized by organic shapes and forms reminiscent of living organisms, a hallmark of his style.
Psychological Landscapes: His works often depict dreamlike landscapes that evoke psychological states and emotions.
Abstract Expressionism: While rooted in Surrealism, Matta's work significantly contributed to the development of Abstract Expressionism through its emphasis on gesture, color, and emotional expression. He collaborated with artists like Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollock.
Modernismo Influence: His connection to the Modernismo art movement is evident in his use of Latin and Greek mythology and medieval verses.

Major Works and Political Engagement

Notable Paintings: Being with, Invasion of the Night, and Verbo América are among his most recognized works.
Mural "The First Goal of the Chilean People": A large-scale mural painted in 1973 was later covered by the military regime of Augusto Pinochet. It was rediscovered and restored in 2008, now displayed at La Granja City Hall. This work demonstrates his political engagement and commentary on social issues.
Ceramic Vessels: Matta also explored ceramic art, creating vessels with surrealist imagery and ancient motifs (as seen in "Senza titolo").

Legacy and Historical Significance

Influence on Subsequent Artists: Matta’s innovative use of color, form, and psychological themes inspired generations of artists.
Museum Recognition: His works are held in prestigious collections including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City and the Butler Institute of American Art.
Continued Relevance: Matta’s exploration of the subconscious mind, his blending of surrealism and abstraction, and his engagement with political themes continue to resonate with contemporary audiences.

All 21 works by Roberto Matta →