Helen Frankenthaler (1928-2011) is one of the most revered and influential abstract painters of the 20th century in addition to being one of the most successful and collected female artists.

Frankenthaler was a key player in the evolution of Abstract Expressionism. Elaborating on techniques made famous by Jackson Pollock, specifically pouring paint directly onto (frequently) unprimed canvas, Frankenthaler led the next major movement in American abstraction: Color Field painting. 

The artist was a prolific and experimental printmaker. She worked with lithography, etchings, woodcuts and screenprints.  “Plaza Real”, typical of her prints, is remarkably complex and labor intensive. The screenprint is a prime example of her aesthetic trademarks; a dynamic use of negative space, bold color choices and suggestive shapes. A field of yellow contains swirls of beige and speckles of color floating above a strip of black which grounds the composition and perhaps recalls a body of water. 

Frankenthaler often employed color in a somewhat combative manner. Her palette resists easy harmony and encourages each element of color to vie for the viewer's attention. This work conveys many of the characteristics found in her largest and most impressive canvases. It is also worth mentioning that yellow, in its many variations, is one of Frankenthaler's favorite colors. 

She has exhibited internationally and her work lives in many museum collections including the MoMA, the Tate and the National Gallery of Art. 

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"Plaza Real" 

Signed, numbered and dated 1987 by the artist.

From an edition of 60  

Etching and aquatint in colors

USA, 1970

20"H 26.5"W (work)

22"H 28.5"W (framed)

Framed with museum glass

Excellent condition