Sanguine Mood 1971

Helen Frankenthaler made this painting, Sanguine Mood, with washes of earthy colours, accented with a crimson trickle and meandering lines. I can imagine her tilting the canvas, guiding the paint, and seeing what would emerge. There's a sense of play and accident, of surrendering control. Did she plan those delicate lines, or did they just happen? That crimson streak—a focal point, or an afterthought? It reminds me of the way Joan Mitchell would build up layers of colour, then slash through them with bold strokes of black. There's an intimacy to this piece. It feels like I'm witnessing a private moment of contemplation, a conversation between the artist and her materials. What I see is not a fixed statement, but an invitation to explore, to question, and to find my own meaning in the dance of colour and line.