Frank Stella’s Guifà e la Beretta Rossa, (Guifà and the Red Cap), 1989, is a captivating etching made of bold colors and large-scale geometric forms. This artwork was made in collaboration with well-known print maker Kenneth Tyler.

In the upper left of the image, rainbow hues of violet, blue, green and yellow decorate the paper. These colors contrast beautifully against the bold, inky strokes which color the background. Additionally, columns, pillars and cones are layered on top of one another as if in a collage. The shapes vary from perfect circles to abstract forms. Viewed in combination, the imagery dances before the viewer, inviting the imagination to construct its own interpretations. This series of mechanical shapes and 3-D composition are reminiscent of Stella’s relief paintings from the early 1980s. For an artist like Stella, experimenting with color, form and dimension is key. He proves to viewers he cannot be confined to a specific artistic genre or movement. Therefore, Stella's abstract works retain a timelessness which will transcend expectations of abstract art. Above all, this large-scale work is an exceptional example of Stella’s later period and his iconic artistic style.

The artist is a master of both painting and print. Oftentimes, Stella’s prints test the boundaries visual dimensions and abstraction. Much of Stella’s work was on view at the Whitney Museum of American Art through February 2016. This is the first retrospective exhibition to be displayed in the museum’s remodeled building.

Created in 1989, this color etching and aquatint with embossing on TGL handmade paper is hand signed and dated by Frank Stella (Massachusetts, 1936 - New York, 2024) in pencil in the lower right and is one of 2 printers proofs, inscribed "PP II" in pencil in the lower left margin; aside from the regular numbered from the edition of 50.

Catalogue Raisonné & COA:

1. Axsom, Richard H. The Prints of Frank Stella: A Catalogue Raisonné. New York: Hudson Hills Press, 1983. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 182.
2. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this artwork.

ABOUT THE FRAMING:
Framed to museum-grade conservation standards, Frank Stella Guifà and the Red Cap (Guifà e la Beretta Rossa) ,1989 is presented in a complementary moulding and optical-grade Plexiglas.