About Robert Swain
Born 1940. Robert Swain is an American painter.
Robert Swain (born December 7, 1940) is an American artist working in the field of Color Sensation.
Early life and education Robert Swain was born on December 7, 1940, in Austin, Texas and grew up in Arlington, Virginia. From 1956 to 1957 Swain traveled and worked in Central American on the Pan-American Highway, and from 1961 to 1962 he lived and studied at the University of Madrid, Spain as part of his undergraduate studies.
In 1964 Swain received his BA degree from the American University in Washington, D.C.
Swain is the recipient of a grant for painting from the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation in 1969, a CAPS Grant (painting), from the State of New York, in 1982, and two Grants from the National Endowment for the Arts (painting); the first in 1976, and again in 1989. Teaching at Hunter College from 1968 to 2014 Swain was awarded the Distinguished Teaching Art Award from the College Art Association in February 1998. He has given numerous Visiting Artist lectures, served on various Fine Art Juries and participated in many panel discussions, such as the Artist's Panel at The Museum of Modern Art, entitled Tony Smith: Artists’ Responses (1998) and, Seeing Red, Part III: Color as an Experience: A Two- Day Symposium on Contemporary Nonobjective Painting and Color Theory, at the Goethe–Institute Inter Nationes, New York (2003).
Major exhibitions Swain's work has been included in group shows at The Museum of Modern Art, The Corcoran Gallery of Art, The Whitney Museum, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. In 2010 a major exhibition of his work, entitled Visual Sensations, The Paintings of Robert Swain: 1967 – 2010, was held at the Hunter College / Times Square Gallery, curated by Gabriele Evertz. 2012
Publications Visual Sensations, The Paintings of Robert Swain: 1967-2010. Catalogue. Modern Art in America 1908-68. Phaidon, 2016. William C. Agee. .
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
People in Robert Swain's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Robert Swain's
Frequently asked questions
Who is Robert Swain?
American painter (born 1940)
When was Robert Swain born?
Robert Swain was born in 1940 in Austin.
What is Robert Swain's occupation?
Robert Swain is a painter.
What nationality is Robert Swain?
Robert Swain is American.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: Robert Swain (artist)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Robert Swain. https://biography.guide/robert-swain/
MLA: "Robert Swain." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/robert-swain/.
Chicago: "Robert Swain." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/robert-swain/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:29 UTC