Robert Natkin (November 7, 1930 – April 20, 2010) was an American abstract painter renowned for his vibrant, lyrical canvases that bridged Abstract Expressionism, Color Field, and Lyrical Abstraction. Born in Chicago to Russian-Jewish immigrant parents, Natkin was profoundly influenced by Henri Matisse, Pierre Bonnard, and Paul Klee, whose emphasis on color, form, and emotional expression shaped his artistic vision. He studied at the Art Institute of Chicago (1948–1952), where exposure to Post-Impressionist art and the Field Museum’s Indigenous textiles sparked his fascination with pattern and color.

Natkin’s career evolved through distinct series, including the Apollo (vertical stripes), Field Mouse (intricate biomorphic shapes), Bern (saturated geometric forms), and the celebrated Hitchcock series, which paid homage to the filmmaker’s narrative complexity and psychological depth. He developed a unique technique using rags, netting, and sponges to apply paint, creating textured, layered surfaces. His work is characterized by a playful yet structured interplay of color, light, and form.

He gained prominence in the 1960s and 1970s, exhibiting at major institutions like the Whitney Museum of American Art, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. A 1969 retrospective at SFMOMA and a 1981 monograph by critic Peter Fuller solidified his legacy. Natkin lived in West Redding, Connecticut, from 1970 onward, where he continued to create until his death. His works are held in prestigious collections worldwide, including The Met, MoMA, Hirshhorn Museum, and the Centre Pompidou. He also created large-scale murals, including a 20x42 foot piece at Rockefeller Center (1992–2024).