On May 12, 2008, Robert Rauschenberg passed away in Port Arthur, Texas at the age of 82. He was a well-known American artist who blended traditional media and found objects. Rauschenberg was born Milton Rauschenberg in 1925, a second-generation American of German ancestry, in Port Arthur, Texas. After studying pharmacology at the University of Texas, he moved to New York City in 1948 and devoted himself to becoming a painter. Rauschenberg was part of a critically influential era of visual art, developing his own unique form of Pop Art. In addition to his works through paint and brush, Rauschenberg tried different texture-based approaches, like using pieces of fabrics, newspapers and other material to create his canvases. One of his most famous works is “Monogram” which features a stuffed Angora goat with a tire around its center. In the 1960s, Rauschenberg earned international recognition alongside fellow pop artist Andy Warhol. He is credited for shaping the course of modern art through his innovative and expressive artwork. Rauschenberg was awarded numerous accolades, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the National Medal of Arts, and the Leonardo da Vinci World Award of Arts. He was also a major influence on many other contemporary and pop artists. He will be greatly missed.