Helen Frankenthaler

Saturn

next

About this artwork

This painting was created by pouring thinned down paint onto an unprimed canvas on the floor. These translucent washes of colour became part of the canvas weave, instead of the paint lying on the surface. This technique was admired by the critic Clement Greenberg, who praised Frankenthaler for the Modernist flatness of her paintings. Saturn was painted the year after the artist had changed to using acrylic paint from oils, in order to achieve a richer and more radiant colour. Although abstract, the areas of colour in the painting call to mind a planetary landscape, as the title suggests.

Updated before 2020

Does this text contain inaccurate information or language that you feel we should improve or change? Tell us what you think.

Helen Frankenthaler

Helen Frankenthaler