Robert Motherwell was an American artist and seminal Abstract Expressionist painter. He was one of the youngest artists of the New York School, which also included his contemporaries Philip Guston, Willem de Kooning, Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko. Motherwell's practice was largely based on the notion of automatism, the concept of doodling abstract or automatic images by tapping into one's subconscious. Abstract shapes that might result from such doodling can be seen in the present work. Motherwell was one of a very few among the original Abstract Expressionists to enthusiastically embrace printmaking.

The artist’s education in psychology at Stanford along with his association with exiled European Surrealists greatly impacted his work. The present print, Elegy Study reflects the concept of “psychic automatism” which denotes automatic, unconscious actions that guide the artist’s brush. Large black splashes and strokes create an image that is both abstract and calligraphic by nature. Motherwell’s gestural works situate him as a major figure in Abstract Expressionism.