Frank Stella, A Bower in the Arsacides, from the Moby Dick Deckle Edges Series, 1993

Artist: Frank Stella (1936 - )
Title:A Bower in the Arsacides, from the Moby Dick Deckle Edges Series, 1993
Reference:Axsom 219
Series:Moby Dick Deckle Edges Series, 1993
Medium:Lithograph, etching, aquatint, relief, screenprint on white TGL handmade paper
Image Size:58 1/4 in x 49 5/8 in (148 cm x 126 cm)
Sheet Size:58 1/4 in x 49 5/8 in (148 cm x 126 cm)
Edition:Numbered from the edition of 38 in pencil in the lower left image.
Signature:This work is hand-signed by Frank Stella (Massachusetts, 1936 - ) in pencil in the lower left image.
Condition:This work is in excellent condition.
ID #W-7136

Historical Description

Frank Stella A Bower in the Arsacides, 1993 is sixth work in the artist’s Moby Dick Deckle Edges Series of 1993. Stella named the work after the 102nd chapter in the novel of the same name. In this chapter, Ishmael tries to understand the great whale by measuring its bones and had these dimensions tattooed on his right arm. In this work, the artist renders an array of forms in shades of black, white and blue collaged together which bear a striking resemblance to some of his previous work. A grid-like pattern of dots in the background that appears in every work in this series gives the work the illusion of a three-dimensional work. This collage of several printmaking techniques showcases Stella’s mastery over several mediums.

Frank Stella A Bower in the Arsacides, 1993 is part of a portfolio of eight works in the artist’s Moby Dick Deckle Edges series of 1993. This body of work derives its name from Herman Melville’s Moby Dick and depicts dense compositions of bright colors and stunning abstract imagery. Also featured in this portfolio are The Whale-Watch, The Battering Ram, Monstrous Pictures of Whales, The Pequod Meets the Jeroboam. Her Story, Ambergris, The Monkey-rope, Affidavit, Extracts, and Extracts, State I.

Created in 1993, this lithograph, etching, aquatint, relief and screenprint on white TGL handmade paper is hand-signed by Frank Stella (Massachusetts, 1936 - ) in pencil in the lower center image and numbered from the edition of 38 in pencil in the lower center image.

Catalogue Raisonné & COA:

Frank Stella A Bower in the Arsacides, from the Moby Dick Deckle Edges Series, 1993 is fully documented and referenced in the below catalogue raisonnés and texts (copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoices that will accompany the sale of the work).

1. Axsom, Richard. The Prints of Frank Stella: A Catalogue Raisonné 1967–1984. Hudson Hills Press: New York, 1983. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 219 on pg. 324.

2. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this artwork.

About the Framing:

Framed to museum-grade, conservation standards, Frank Stella A Bower in the Arsacides, from the Moby Dick Deckle Edges Series, 1993 is presented in a complementary moulding and finished with silk-wrapped mats and optical grade Plexiglas.