“Variation II on Mauve Corner” is an abstract lithograph by Helen Frankenthaler created in 1969. It exemplifies the Color Field Painting movement and is part of the collection at the Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art in Saint Joseph, MO, United States. The artwork’s genre is abstract, which focuses on the use of color and form over representational content.
The artwork features a prominent, irregularly shaped field of deep, saturated blue that dominates the majority of the composition. This expansive color area is characteristic of the Color Field movement, aimed at the simplicity of form and the emotional resonance of large planes of color. Within this blue region, there is a subtler organic form rendered in a reddish-brown hue, adding a layer of depth and interaction within the color field. Close to the bottom of the artwork, isolated from the central form, are two small areas of color, one green and one red, which provide visual accents to the composition. Their modest scale and placement seem to counterbalance the heaviness of the blue field, offering a sense of compositional equilibrium. The background of the lithograph is a neutral white, allowing the colors to stand out sharply and enhancing their visual impact. Overall, the artwork conveys a sense of simplicity and purity in its abstract expression.
