Artist
Helen Frankenthaler (American, 1928–2011)American, 1928–2011
CultureAmerican
Titles
- Blue Rail
Date1969
PlaceUnited States
MediumAcrylic on canvas
Dimensions106 15/16 × 93 3/4 in. (271.6 × 238.1 cm)
Credit LineMuseum purchase funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Friends of Modern Art
Object number73.82
Current Location
The Nancy and Rich Kinder Building
Gallery 203
On view
Explore Further
Department
Modern and Contemporary ArtObject Type
a new approach to painting, inspired by
Jackson Pollock’s method of flinging paint
onto canvas. However, where Pollock used
thick enamel-based paints that sat on the
surface of his compositions, Frankenthaler used
diluted pigments—first oil, then acrylic—
that sank into her unprimed canvases, so that
medium and support became one. Commenting on her studio process, Frankenthaler
stated, “The canvas surface is flat and yet the
space extends for miles. What a lie, what
trickery—how beautiful is the very idea
of painting.
Provenance[David Mirvish Gallery, Toronto]; purchased by MFAH, 1973.
Exhibition History"Helen Frankenthaler: Paintings 1969-1974," Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., April 20–June 1, 1975; Traveled to Seattle Art Museum, June 26–September 14, 1975; Museum of Fine Arts Houston, October 10–November 23, 1975.
“A Permanent Heritage: Major Works from the Collection,” Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, October 23, 1980—January 4, 1981.
"Modern American Paintings," Pinacotheque National Musee Alexandre Soutzos, Athens, September 20–November 7, 1982.
"Art at Midcentury: Spotlight on the Collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston," Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, April 13–September 3, 2001.
"Color Field: Spotlight on the Collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston," Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, April 28–August 4, 2002.
"Color into Light: Selections from the MFAH Collection," Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, December 13, 2008–March 22, 2009.
"Selections from the Museum's Collection: Post-War Painting and Sculpture," Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, May 5–September 5, 2016.
Cataloguing data may change with further research.
If you have questions about this work of art or the MFAH Online Collection please contact us.
