While Helen Frankenthaler remains best known for bold, expressive “soak-stain” paintings such as Mountains and Sea (1952), she has been recognized for her innovative prints, too. The Abstract Expressionist artist worked across diverse media for decades, with forays into woodcutting, drawing and printmaking that also pushed boundaries.
In the early 1950s, when Frankenthaler first poured turpentine-thinned paint onto raw canvas, the lifelong New Yorker blazed a trail that many of her male contemporaries would follow. Her process, which came to be known as Color Field painting, was described as “the bridge between Pollock and what is possible” by the artist Morris Louis, an early adopter of the technique. But Frankenthaler also experimented widely with printmaking.
Off White Square, a highlight of “As in Nature,” a 2017 solo exhibition of Frankenthaler’s works at Clark Art Institute, in Massachusetts, is a dramatic picture from 1973 that’s more than 21 feet long. The smallest print in “No Rules” — a series that brings together 17 of the roughly 25 woodcut prints that the artist executed between 1973 and 2009 — measures 20 by 24 inches.
This pair of works reveals Frankenthaler’s innate gift for handling different scales, making paintings and works on paper that are compelling whether they are super-sized or intimate. In some ways, this was the magic ingredient in the work of this artist, who was one of the few women to garner the critical acclaim given to such male Ab-Ex counterparts as Willem de Kooning and Robert Motherwell.
In the 1970s, Tatyana Grosman, of Universal Limited Art Editions, invited Frankenthaler, then in her mid-40s, to make her first woodcut. The artist approached the time-consuming process unconventionally. Her mantra became “Ignore the rules.”
Rethinking the properties of wood, paper and even the inks, Frankenthaler introduced qualities of transparency that were new to the printmaking medium. Her colors became diaphanous layers. The six prints that comprise “Tales of Genji” (1998) and “Madame Butterfly” (2000) are remarkable examples of this feat.
Early on, Frankenthaler did not carve into the wood. Instead, she applied ink to the ends of multiple blocks. Because she did not want negative spaces to appear between her colors, each individual element was printed separately rather than being joined to the others in a jigsaw-like configuration. The artist also incorporated the wood grain as a formal quality, enlivening its natural character by roughing it up a bit with all sorts of scrapers, including sandpaper, dental tools and even a cheese scraper.
Eventually, Frankenthaler began making her own unique paper pulp for her prints. As for her colors, when she was unhappy with the tones of a few in early test prints, she began laying down a layer of white ink to enliven the pigments that would be applied next.
Frankenthaler made four woodcuts during the 1970s and just two more during the ’80s. The resulting oeuvre was worth the wait. Referencing Japan and Japanese woodblock prints, which grew out of 17th-century developments in printing and book publishing, Frankenthaler called her first woodcut East and Beyond. By the time she made her last woodcut, in 2009, she’d created off-kilter compositions, astonishing color arrangements and meandering lines evocative of her paintings.
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"Celebration '76" Helen Frankenthaler, Female Artist, Color Field, Yellow, Blue
By Helen Frankenthaler
Located in New York, NY
Helen Frankenthaler Celebration '76, 1976 Signed and dated lower left, inscribed lower right Offset lithograph in colors Image 22 1/4 x 30 1/4 inches Sheet 25 1/2 x 31 1/2 inches T...
Lithograph
Spring Run XVI
By Helen Frankenthaler
Located in New York, NY
Vivid color monotype by American Abstract Expressionist artist Helen Frankenthaler, signed by the artist in pencil, lower right. Printed and published in collaboration with Tyler Graphics...
Monotype
Mary Mary
By Helen Frankenthaler
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Helen Frankenthaler (1928-2011) is one of the most revered abstract painters of the 20th century, and one of the most successful and collected female artists of all time. She was a ...
Lithograph, Offset, Screen
Soho Dreams
By Helen Frankenthaler
Located in London, GB
Etching, aquatint and drypoint in colours, 1987, on Magnani paper, signed and dated in pencil, numbered from the edition of 71 (there were also 8 artist’s proofs), published by 2RC E...
Drypoint, Etching, Aquatint
Acrobat (detail), Limited Edition Porcelain Plate in bespoke gift box - Abstract
By Helen Frankenthaler
Located in New York, NY
This porcelain/ceramic plate makes a gorgeous gift - in a bright blue bespoke box, ready to be gifted. Any fan of Helen Frankenthaler or Abstract Expressionist art would be thrilled!...
Porcelain, Screen, Cardboard, Mixed Media
Flotilla
By Helen Frankenthaler
Located in London, GB
Screenprint in colors, 2006, on Rives BFK paper, signed and dated in pencil, numbered from the edition of 120, published by the Naples Art Museum, Florida, 78.7 x 93.7 cm. (31 x 37 i...
Screen
Ramblas
By Helen Frankenthaler
Located in New York, NY
Created by the artist in 1987-88, Ramblas is an original lithograph, drypoint, and etching in colors on Rives BFK paper. Hand-signed, dated, and numbered from the edition of 75 in pe...
Drypoint, Etching, Lithograph
Tribal Sign
By Helen Frankenthaler
Located in New York, NY
Tribal Sign, 1987 Signed and dated in pencil with publisher's blindstamp Eleven color lithograph on mauve TGL handmade paper Sheet: 24 x 18.5 inches Frame: 33 x 27 inches Edition 25 ...
Color, Lithograph
Mary, Mary
By Helen Frankenthaler
Located in London, GB
Screenprint and offset lithograph in colours, 1987, on wove paper, signed in pencil by the artist, one of 10 printer's proofs, aside from standard edition of 72, published by Lincoln...
Offset, Screen
Helen Frankenthaler - Milwaukee Art Museum invitation card, Hand Signed, Framed
By Helen Frankenthaler
Located in New York, NY
Offset lithograph invitation card - 2 sided Hand signed by Helen Frankenthaler in ink on the verso A collectors' item when hand signed by the artist Published by the Milwaukee Art Mu...
Lithograph, Offset
Ramblas
By Helen Frankenthaler
Located in London, GB
Lithograph, drypoint, etching in colours, 1987/88, on handmade wove paper, signed in pencil, numbered from the edition of 75, printed and published by Polígrafa Obra Gráfica, Barcelo...
Drypoint, Etching, Lithograph
Helen Frankenthaler - Postcard of Jacob's Ladder, 1957, Hand Signed, Framed
By Helen Frankenthaler
Located in New York, NY
Offset lithograph postcard Hand signed and dated 1989 in blue marker on the verso Provenance: Collection of Dan Pope, former CBS cameraman who amassed one of the best collection of v...
Postcard
"Sirocco" Mixographia
By Helen Frankenthaler
Located in Los Angeles, CA
“Sirocco” by Helen Frankenthaler . Mixographia embossed engraving on handmade paper. Unique color from the regular numbered edition. 51/52. Hand signed by artist, dated 1989. Pri...
Ink, Handmade Paper
Solar Imp
By Helen Frankenthaler
Located in New York, NY
Screenprint in colors on wove paper. Signed by the artist in pencil and also numbered 96/126 in pencil. Published by Lincoln Center List Poster and Print Program, New York. Second ...
Screen, Color
Sudden Snow
By Helen Frankenthaler
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Helen Frankenthaler (1928-2011) is one of the most revered abstract painters of the 20th century, and one of the most successful and collected female artists of all time. She was a ...
Lithograph
Aerie
By Helen Frankenthaler
Located in New York, NY
Signed and numbered in pencil
Screen
Vuillard's Chariot
By Helen Frankenthaler
Located in New York, NY
Created by the artist in 2006 as an original color lithograph, Vuillard’s Chariot measures 24 ¾ in. x 30 1/8 in. (62.87 cm x 76.52 cm), unframed, and is from the edition of 50 as iss...
Lithograph
H 9.88 in W 12.75 in
Untitled
By Henri Goetz
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Untitled Signed in pencil lower right (see photo) Edition: 25 (9/25) (see photo) Engraving, drypoint & carborundum Printed by the artist Condition: Excellent, slight residue on rever...
Drypoint, Etching
H 12.5 in W 16.6 in
Gerhard Richter -Abstract Picture, limited edition authorized reproduction print
By Gerhard Richter
Located in New York, NY
Gerhard Richter Untitled Abstract Picture, 2002 Offset lithograph on GardaMatt Art 250 GSM paper Not signed, edition of 3433 12 1/2 × 16 3.5 inches Unframed Printed on GardaMatt Art...
Lithograph, Offset
H 26.5 in W 35 in
Untitled
By Sam Francis
Located in London, GB
67.3 x 88.9 cms (26.5 x 35 ins) Edition of 50 Signed lower right, numbered lower left. Published by Nantenshi Gallery, Tokyo. Printed by Harumi Sonoyama at Gendai hanga Kobo Co...
Color, Lithograph
H 37 in W 25 in
Helen Frankenthaler - A Paintings Retrospective - vintage LACMA Museum poster
By Helen Frankenthaler
Located in New York, NY
Helen Frankenthaler (after) A Paintings Retrospective: vintage LACMA Museum poster, 1990 Offset lithograph museum poster (Unsigned & U...
Lithograph, Offset
H 12.5 in W 16.6 in
Abstract Painting (Limited edition print; authorized promotional reproduction)
By Gerhard Richter
Located in New York, NY
Gerhard Richter Untitled Abstract Picture, 2002 Offset lithographic reproduction on GardaMatt Art 250 GSM paper with full margins (Artist Authorized) Not signed, edition of 3433 12 1...
Lithograph, Offset
Carousel, Minimalist Stripe Lithograph by Gene Davis
By Gene Davis
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Gene Davis Title: Carousel Year: 1980 Medium: Lithograph on Arches Paper, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 250 Image 13.5 x 20 inches Paper Size: 17 x 24 inches
Lithograph
H 12.5 in W 16.6 in
Gerhard Richter -Abstract Picture one plate artist authorized print on GardaMatt
By Gerhard Richter
Located in New York, NY
Gerhard Richter Untitled Abstract Picture, 2002 Offset lithograph on GardaMatt Art 250 GSM paper (reproduction) Limited Edition edition of 3433 12 1/2 × 16 3.5 inches Unframed Printed on GardaMatt Art 250 GSM paper, this beautiful and colorful piece was part of a portfolio of loose plate reproductions for Gerhard Richter's Abstraktes works. Released during his exhibitions at the San Francisco Museum of Art (Abstract Pictures) and the Museum of Modern Art (Gerhard Richter, 40 Years of Painting). It depicts Richters Oil on Aluminum abstract picture) More about Gerhard Richter: Gerhard Richter was born in 1932 in Dresden, Germany. Throughout his career, Richter has negotiated the frontier between photography and painting, captivated by the way in which these two seemingly opposing practices speak to and challenge one another. From exuberant canvases rendered with a squeegee and acerbic color charts to paintings of photographic detail and close-ups of a single brushstroke, Richter moves effortlessly between the two mediums, reveling in the complexity of their relationship, while never asserting one above the other. Richter’s life traces the defining moments of twentieth-century history and his work reverberates with the trauma of National Socialism and the Holocaust. In the wake of the Second World War, Richter trained in a Socialist Realist style sanctioned by East Germany’s Communist government. When he defected to West Germany in 1961, a month before the Berlin Wall was erected, Richter left his entire artistic oeuvre up to that point behind. From 1961 to 1964—alongside Blinky Palermo and Sigmar Polke—Richter studied at the Staatliche Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, where he began to explore the material, conceptual, and historical implications of painting without ideological restraint. Richter’s earliest paintings in Düsseldorf, stimulated by a fascination with current affairs and popular culture, responded to images from magazines and newspaper cuttings. Through the 1960s, Richter continued to address found and media images of subjects such as military jets, portraits, and aerial photographs. Notably, he reimagined family pictures he had smuggled from East Germany that included his smiling uncle Rudi, dressed in a Nazi uniform...
Lithograph, Offset
H 12.6 in W 9.85 in D 0.04 in
André Masson - Original Lithograph
By André Masson
Located in Collonge Bellerive, Geneve, CH
André Masson - Composition Original Lithograph 1969 Dimensions: 32 x 25 cm Revue XXe Siècle Cahiers d'art published under the direction of G. di San Laz...
Lithograph
H 24.07 in W 36 in
Lee Krasner: A Retrospective - The Museum of Modern Art (Celebration) Poster
By Lee Krasner
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: (after) Lee Krasner (American, 1908-1984) Title: "Lee Krasner: A Retrospective - The Museum of Modern Art (Celebration)" *Signed and dated in the plate (printed signature) lo...
Lithograph, Offset
H 26 in W 17 in D 0.01 in
Untitled #1
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork "untitled #1" 1978 is an original color serigraph on Wove paper by Canadian/American artist Howard Bradford, 1919-2008. It is hand signed,...
Screen
H 16 in W 22.5 in
Sam Francis Karel Appel & Walasse Ting - lithographs, hand signed, 85/100 Framed
By Sam Francis
Located in New York, NY
From the rare, fully signed edition of One Cent Life - only 100 examples were hand signed by the artists. Exceptional provenance from Robert Indiana's estate. Sam Francis, Karel App...
Lithograph
H 22.5 in W 27 in D 2 in
Print of Frank Stella Wall Relief Sculpture, Hand Signed, Dated by Artist Framed
By Frank Stella
Located in New York, NY
Frank Stella (after) Untitled, for the Very Special Arts Gallery (Hand Signed by Frank Stella), 1992 Photo lithograph and offset litho on thin board (hand signed by Frank Stella) Fra...
Lithograph, Offset
H 25.75 in W 18 in
Silkscreen from the estate of Stephen Poleskie, Berggruen 11, Clark 12 Harrison
By Helen Frankenthaler
Located in New York, NY
Helen Frankenthaler Untitled, from the estate of Stephen Poleskie (Berggruen 11, Clark 12, Harrison and Boorsch 11), 1967 Color silkscreen on wove paper Unframed A unique unsigned pr...
Screen
H 34.25 in W 27 in
Ramblas
By Helen Frankenthaler
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Helen Frankenthaler (1928-2011) is one of the most revered abstract painters of the 20th century in addition to being one of the most successful and collected female artists. Franke...
Lithograph
H 42.33 in W 32.4 in
Helen Frankenthaler “Mary Mary” 1987
By Helen Frankenthaler
Located in San Francisco, CA
Helen Frankenthaler: 1928-2011. Well listed very important American abstract expressionist. Her paintings have sold well into the millions of dollars. This particular print is done a...
Screen
H 33.75 in W 38.88 in
Lincoln Center (Aerie) Poster /// Helen Frankenthaler Female Abstract Modern Art
By Helen Frankenthaler
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Helen Frankenthaler (American, 1928-2011) Title: "Lincoln Center (Aerie)" Series: Lincoln Center Posters *Issued unsigned, though signed by Frankenthaler in the plate (printe...
Screen
H 26.5 in W 33 in D 2 in
Helen Frankenthaler - Lush Spring Framed Print
By Helen Frankenthaler
Located in Central, HK
This print features a reproduction of Lush Spring (1975) by Helen Frankenthaler. It’s mounted and laminated for protection from dust and UV rays, and floated in a hand-stained, natur...
Wood, Paper
H 34 in W 20 in D 2 in
Helen Frankenthaler - Tutti-Frutti Framed Print
By Helen Frankenthaler
Located in Central, HK
This print features a reproduction of Tutti-Frutti (1966) by Helen Frankenthaler. It's mounted and laminated for protection from dust and UV rays, and floated in a hand-stained, natu...
Wood, Paper
H 36.25 in W 36.25 in D 0.88 in
"Sun Corner" Modern Abstract Minimalist Blue, Yellow, Red, & Green Lithograph
By Helen Frankenthaler
Located in Houston, TX
Modern abstract lithograph by American artist Helen Frankenthaler. The work features sweeping blocks of blue and yellow colors with central green and red markings. Signed, dated, and...
Screen
H 19.5 in W 15.75 in
Midnight
By Helen Frankenthaler
Located in New York, NY
DESCRIPTION aquatint and drypoint printed in colors, signed in pencil, dated, numbered 43/71 (total edition includes eight artist's proofs), on Magnani wove paper, with the blindstam...
Drypoint, Aquatint
H 19.88 in W 26.38 in
Plaza Real
By Helen Frankenthaler
Located in New York, NY
A very good impression of this color soft-ground etching, etching and aquatint on White Rives BFK paper. Signed, dated and numbered 55/60 in pencil, lower margin. Printed and publish...
Color, Etching, Aquatint
H 30.5 in W 22.25 in
Wind Directions
By Helen Frankenthaler
Located in New York, NY
Helen Frankenthaler Wind Directions, 1970 Color Pochoir 30.50h x 22.25w in
Monoprint
H 25.75 in W 18 in
Untitled
By Helen Frankenthaler
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Helen Frankenthaler (American, 1928-2011) Title: "Untitled" *Signed, dated, and numbered by Frankenthaler in pencil lower right Year: 1967 Medium: Original Screenprint on white Arches double-weight watercolor paper Limited edition: 58/100 Printer: Patricia Yamashiro of Maurel Studios, New York, NY Publisher: the artist Frankenthaler herself and Chiron Press, New York, NY Reference: "Frankenthaler: A Catalogue Raisonné - Prints 1961-1994" - Harrison No. 11, page 88-89; Berggruen No. 11; Clark No. 12 Sheet size: 25.75" x 18" Condition: In excellent condition Notes: Provenance: private collection - Honolulu, HI - a longtime archivist at The National Archives Museum, Washington D.C.; acquired from renown art dealer Harry Lunn of Lunn Gallery, Washington, D.C. in October of 1969 retaining a copy of its original receipt; acquired from Multiples, Inc., New York, NY retaining their original gallery label; likely acquired directly from the publisher Chiron Press, New York, NY. Printed in four colors from four screens: green, blue, yellow, and red. Chiron Press chop mark/blind stamp lower left. This is the second screenprint edition Frankenthaler ever made. Though presently unframed, this work also retains its original framer label from Kulicke Frames Inc., New York, NY from its previous custom plexiglass box framing. The work also retains an inscribed index card with purchase information believed created by the Honolulu collector. "Air Frame" (cat. no. 6) was Frankenthaler's first silkscreen - a medium that Universal Limited Art Editions, West Islip, NY did not use, although it became increasingly popular for artists' prints, both in Europe and the United States, during the sixties. Several other silkscreens followed in the next few years: "Untitled" (cat no. 11), in 1967, and "Sun Corner" (cat. no. 12) by Tanglewood Press, New York, in 1968. - "What Red Lines Can Do" (cat. nos. 22-26) is a suite of silkscreens published by Multiples, Inc., at that time directed by Rosa Esman...
Screen
H 45 in W 33 in
Helen Frankenthaler What Red Lines Can Do Series, Screen Print
By Helen Frankenthaler
Located in Detroit, MI
ONE WEEK ONLY SALE "Untitled" lithograph from Frakenthaler's What Red Lines Can Do Series. Signed and dated, with the numbers 55/9/75 on the lower front right. Color screen print on white arches handmade cold press paper. Helen Frankenthaler was born on December 12, 1928 in New York City, the daughter of a New York Supreme Court judge and a family of Jewish immigrants from Germany who emphasized culture and intellectual pursuits and continue to be active to this day such as through nephew, the artist and photographer Clifford...
Lithograph