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  • Most Popular Paintings
the collector's folio

Robert Smithson Most Popular Paintings

The 4 artworks by Robert Smithson our visitors look at most, ranked by popularity and presented one by one.

Edition 2026 · 4 artworks Each artwork painted to order
Linen canvas · Certificate of authenticity · Delivered worldwide Robert Smithson · 1938 – 1973

Non Site - Site Uncertain

Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit

This 1968 postminimalist sculpture by Robert Smithson uses steel and coal. Explore this profound exploration of entropy and site today.

View the most popular artwork of Robert Smithson ranked #1: Non Site - Site Uncertain
Art Movement
Postminimalism
Color Palette
Earthy
View the artwork

Three-Sided Vortex – Robert Smithson

1966 · Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk · original 41 x 20 cm
View the most popular artwork of Robert Smithson ranked #2: Three-Sided Vortex
Color Palette
Neutrals
Technique
Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made
To order, by a trained painter
Popularity
No. 2 of 6 artworks by Robert Smithson
Delivery
Worldwide, about 5 weeks
from$17726 × 38 cm Commission this artwork

Torn Photograph from the 2nd Stop (Rubble) (2nd Mountain of Six Stops on a Section) from Artists Photographs, 1970, Robert Smithson

1970 · original 28 x 28 cm

Explore Robert Smithson’s ‘Torn Photograph,’ a captivating 1970 land art piece featuring rock assemblages & earthy tones. A unique, minimalist photographic study of entropy and wilderness.

View the most popular artwork of Robert Smithson ranked #3: Torn Photograph from the 2nd Stop (Rubble) (2nd Mountain of Six Stops on a Section) from Artists Photographs
Art Movement
Land Art
Color Palette
Neutrals
Technique
Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made
To order, by a trained painter
Popularity
No. 3 of 6 artworks by Robert Smithson
Delivery
Worldwide, about 5 weeks
from$17731 × 32 cm Commission this artwork

Ruin of Map of Hipparchus (100 B.C.) in Oswego Lake Quadrangle (1954 55) by Robert Smithson, 1967

1967 · original 32 x 45 cm
View the most popular artwork of Robert Smithson ranked #4: Ruin of Map of Hipparchus (100 B.C.) in Oswego Lake Quadrangle (1954 55)
Color Palette
Pastels
Technique
Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made
To order, by a trained painter
Popularity
No. 4 of 6 artworks by Robert Smithson
Delivery
Worldwide, about 5 weeks
from$17737 × 27 cm Commission this artwork
Same size as the original$19045 × 32 cm Commission at original size
The artist

Robert Smithson

1938 – 1973

Portrait of Robert Smithson
Quick facts
  • Works on APS6
  • Born1938, Passaic, United States
  • Museums on APSDetroit Institute of Arts, Chrysler Museum of Art
  • Lifespan35 years
  • Top-ranked workNon Site - Site Uncertain
  • Top 3 worksNon Site - Site Uncertain, Three-Sided Vortex, Torn Photograph from the 2nd Stop (Rubble) (2nd Mountain of Six Stops on a Section) from Artists Photographs
  • Also known asRobert I. Smithson, روبرت سميثسون, ロバート・スミッソン, რობერტ სმითსონი, Роберт Смитсон
Biography

Early Life and Artistic Beginnings

  • Born: January 2, 1938, in Passaic, New Jersey
  • Early years spent in Rutherford and Clifton, New Jersey
  • Studied painting and drawing at the Art Students League of New York (1955-1956)
  • Early artwork explored collage influenced by homoerotic themes, science fiction, and pop art. Primarily identified as a painter during this period.
  • Influenced by William Carlos Williams, who was his pediatrician.

The Shift to Minimalism and Conceptual Art

  • After a three-year break from the art world, emerged in 1964 as a proponent of the minimalist movement.
  • Abandoned figurative work, focusing on glass sheet and neon lighting tubes exploring visual refraction and mirroring.
  • Developed interest in entropy (the second law of thermodynamics) – decay, renewal, chaos, order, non-sites, and earthworks. Saw entropy not as a disadvantage but as a form of transformation.
  • Associated with minimalist artists like Nancy Holt (his wife), Robert Morris, and Sol LeWitt.
  • Became a critic for *Arts Magazine* and *Artforum*, gaining recognition as a writer before his art.

Land Art and Earthworks: Spiral Jetty and Beyond

  • Fascination with industrial areas in New Jersey led to the development of "Non-Sites" – sculptures incorporating earth and rocks from specific locations, often combined with mirrors or glass.
  • Spiral Jetty (1970): His most famous work, a massive coil of basalt rock extending into the Great Salt Lake in Utah. A key example of land art, exploring themes of entropy, time, and geological processes.
  • Explored temporary sculptures using mirrors in the Yucatan Peninsula, documented in "Incidents of Mirror-Travel in the Yucatan."
  • Recovered 18th- and 19th-century conceptions of landscape architecture, influencing his later earthwork explorations.

Theoretical Writings and Landscape Perspectives

  • Wrote extensively on art theory, including "A Heap of Language," exploring how writing could become an artwork.
  • Examined Frederick Law Olmsted's design for Central Park in New York City, recovering issues of site specificity, human intervention, and the picturesque landscape.
  • His writings demonstrate a deep engagement with history, philosophy, geology, and cultural theory.

Legacy and Historical Significance

  • Died: July 20, 1973, in Tucson, Arizona (due to a heart attack while hiking).
  • Considered a pivotal figure in Land Art and Earthworks movements.
  • His work expanded the definition of art, blurring boundaries between sculpture, landscape, and natural processes.
  • Influenced generations of artists with his conceptual approach, exploration of entropy, and engagement with geological time scales.
  • The Holt/Smithson Foundation continues to preserve and promote his legacy.

Questions & Answers

Where are Robert Smithson's artworks grouped by palette?

Robert Smithson's works can be browsed by color palette on the artist's By Palettes page.

How did Robert Smithson's art evolve over time?

Robert Smithson's career unfolds period by period on the artist's Chronicle page: a horizontal timeline of the artworks, grouped into career-period chapters.

What aliases or alternate names does Robert Smithson have?

Robert Smithson appears under the alternate names Robert I. Smithson, روبرت سميثسون, ロバート・スミッソン, რობერტ სმითსონი, Роберт Смитсон.

By the WikiOO.org Editorial Team Updated Sept. 18, 2026
Collector's quiz
  1. Where was Robert Smithson born?

  2. Which famous artwork is a massive coil of basalt rock in the Great Salt Lake?

  3. What scientific concept did Smithson explore through themes of decay and chaos?

  4. Who was Robert Smithson's wife and fellow artist?

  5. In which city did Smithson study painting and drawing at the Art Students League?

Keep exploring

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one You choose the size

Standard formats or any custom dimension, matched to the proportions of the original.

two We paint and send a preview

A photo of the finished canvas for your approval before it is shipped.

three Delivered, certified

Rolled, stretched or framed, insured, with a certificate of authenticity.

Commission your Robert Smithson

Every artwork by Robert Smithson in our catalog can be painted to order, in the size that suits the room.

All artworks by Robert Smithson

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