Helen Frankenthaler
American, 1928-2011
In the Wings, 1987
Aquatint, lithograph and etching
_{© 2026 Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, Inc. / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York}

With an inventive career spanning six decades, Helen Frankenthaler is celebrated as one of the great American artists of the 20^th century. Her pioneering approach to color, material, and technique brought painting to previously unexplored places. In printmaking, Frankenthaler incorporates spontaneous form through experimentation with aquatint and etching mediums. Bold, unexpected pops of color and the suggestion of energetic brushstrokes bring vitality to In the Wings, but the subject remains up to interpretation. What do you see in this image?