MORTON ROBERTS: A Brief Life at Yale

Morton Roberts was one of the rising stars in the late 50's and early 60's.

- Abe Echevarria

We begin at the end.

A few weeks after his death, there appeared in the pages of The Art Times an anonymous eulogy written in his memory:

He was our friend. He was an artist. He was young. He was not given the years which were necessary to advance a prodigious talent into that last finish which accompanies the disciplines and realizations of age. He left us in the month which is the early promise of the year, just as his youth was the early promise of an already accomplished life. We regret the loss of this enthusiastic and exuberant man. His life exemplified an additive form of vitality such as we cannot ever spare, and must always be regretful of losing.

Morton Roberts

It is with this poignant sentiment that we take a look back to the early promise of, what was, an already accomplished life.

Morton Roberts’ history of art bibliography from his time at Yale

It starts with Morton’s parents nurturing the fire in Morton’s adolescent desire to become a great artist. They made sure he was well supplied with art materials during his early interest as an aspiring artist. That early support proved essential in the development of what would become a child prodigy enrolled in the Boston Museum School.

Upon completing a distinguished tour in the Navy, serving as a combat artist aboard Admiral Nimitz command ship, he uses a VA grant to apply to Yale.