Helen Frankenthaler (American, 1928-2011)
printed by Robert Blackburn (American, 1920-2003)
published by Universal Limited Art Editions (American, founded 1955)
May 26 Backwards
INV-9746
Helen Frankenthaler (American, 1928-2011)
printed by Robert Blackburn (American, 1920-2003)
published by Universal Limited Art Editions (American, founded 1955)1961
lithographprint
Date
1961
Medium
Color lithograph from three stones on paper
Dimensions
Sheet: 78.8 × 56.2 cm (31 1/16 × 22 3/16 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
U.L.A.E. Collection acquired through a challenge grant of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Dittmer; purchased with funds provided by supporters of the Department of Prints and Drawings; Centennial Endowment; Margaret Fisher Endowment Fund
In 1961 Frankenthaler was only beginning to understand the finer points of printmaking. The most essential of these is that printing reverses the image set on the stone. The title of this print, May 26 Backwards, is a playful acknowledgement that while the artist wrote the numbers in mirror image to compensate for the printing process, she neglected to invert the digits. As a result, 26 appears as 62 in the final print.
Also notable
Works in the same vein
First Stone
Helen Frankenthaler (American, 1928-2011) printed by Robert Blackburn (American, 1920-2003) published by Universal Limited Art Editions (American, founded 1955)
First Stone
Helen Frankenthaler (American, 1928-2011) printed by Robert Blackburn (American, 1920-2003) published by Universal Limited Art Editions (American, founded 1955)
