Helen Frankenthaler

(American, 1928–2011)

Helen Frankenthaler was an American painter and printmaker known for her unique method of staining canvas with thin veils of color. Her practice can be seen as a bridge between the Abstract Expressionists of the 1950s and the Color Field painters of the 1960s. The techniques employed in works such as Mountains and Sea (1952)—a pastel blend of oil paint and charcoal on unprimed canvas—were influential to both Morris Louis and Kenneth Noland. “One really beautiful wrist motion, that is synchronized with your head and heart, and you have it,” she once said of her practice. “It looks as if it were born in a minute.” Born on December 12, 1928 in New York, NY, she studied with Rufino Tamayo at the Dalton School and Paul Feeley at Bennington College. During the 1950s, Frankenthaler’s work attracted attention from the influential art critic Clement Greenberg, leading to several exhibitions, including a solo show at the Jewish Museum in 1960. Following her marriage to the painter Robert Motherwell that same year, Frankenthaler continued to push her experimentation painting through using acrylics on unprimed canvas. The artist died on December 27, 2011 in Darien, CT. Today, Frankenthaler’s works are held in the collections of The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, among others.

Helen Frankenthaler News

Law & Politics

Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Against Helen Frankenthaler Foundation

by Sarah Cascone
Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Against Helen Frankenthaler Foundation
Art World

Eureka: What Was Helen Frankenthaler’s Soak-Stain Technique?

by Verity Babbs
Eureka: What Was Helen Frankenthaler’s Soak-Stain Technique?
Law & Politics

Frankenthaler Foundation Moves to Dismiss Lawsuit Amid Ongoing Family Feud

by Adam Schrader
Frankenthaler Foundation Moves to Dismiss Lawsuit Amid Ongoing Family Feud

Helen Frankenthaler Artworks

Artworks for Sale &
Auction Results

Helen Frankenthaler (2,766 results)
Untitled (State II), 1965

Helen Frankenthaler

Untitled (State II), 1965

Sale Date: October 27, 2022

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1958–1961

Helen Frankenthaler

Untitled, 1958–1961

Sale Date: October 13, 2022

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1991

Helen Frankenthaler

Untitled, 1991

Sale Date: October 13, 2022

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1994

Helen Frankenthaler

Untitled, 1994

Sale Date: October 13, 2022

Auction Closed

Somnambulist, 1989

Helen Frankenthaler

Somnambulist, 1989

Sale Date: September 30, 2022

Auction Closed

Broome Street at Night, 1987

Helen Frankenthaler

Broome Street at Night, 1987

Sale Date: September 24, 2022

Auction Closed

Against the Rules, 1983

Helen Frankenthaler

Against the Rules, 1983

Sale Date: September 29, 2022

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1964

Helen Frankenthaler

Untitled, 1964

Sale Date: September 29, 2022

Auction Closed

Earth Slice, 1978

Helen Frankenthaler

Earth Slice, 1978

Sale Date: September 29, 2022

Auction Closed

Orange Hoop (Harrison 7), 1965

Helen Frankenthaler

Orange Hoop (Harrison 7), 1965

Sale Date: September 27, 2022

Auction Closed

Midnight, 1987

Helen Frankenthaler

Midnight, 1987

Sale Date: September 8, 2022

Auction Closed

Ramblas, 1987–1988

Helen Frankenthaler

Ramblas, 1987–1988

Sale Date: September 8, 2022

Auction Closed

Live from Lincoln Center, 20th Anniversary, 1995

Helen Frankenthaler

Live from Lincoln Center, 20th Anniversary, 1995

Sale Date: August 3, 2022

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1982

Helen Frankenthaler

Untitled, 1982

Sale Date: July 19, 2022

Auction Closed

Flirting with the Stone (Harrison 171); , 1985–1990

Helen Frankenthaler

Flirting with the Stone (Harrison 171); , 1985–1990

Sale Date: July 19, 2022

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1977–1979

Helen Frankenthaler

Untitled, 1977–1979

Sale Date: July 19, 2022

Auction Closed

Untitled, 2003

Helen Frankenthaler

Untitled, 2003

Sale Date: July 19, 2022

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1979–1980

Helen Frankenthaler

Untitled, 1979–1980

Sale Date: July 19, 2022

Auction Closed

Parets II, 1988

Helen Frankenthaler

Parets II, 1988

Sale Date: July 13, 2022

Auction Closed

Orient Express #6, 1977

Helen Frankenthaler

Orient Express #6, 1977

Sale Date: July 1, 2022

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1994

Helen Frankenthaler

Untitled, 1994

Sale Date: July 1, 2022

Auction Closed

Reflections II, 1995

Helen Frankenthaler

Reflections II, 1995

Sale Date: June 24, 2022

Auction Closed

Spring Veil (Harrison 125) 21/51, 1987

Helen Frankenthaler

Spring Veil (Harrison 125) 21/51, 1987

Sale Date: June 28, 2022

Auction Closed

Untitled (from the What Red Lines Can Do..., 1970

Helen Frankenthaler

Untitled (from the What Red Lines Can Do..., 1970

Sale Date: June 23, 2022

Auction Closed

English (US)

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