Mauve District 1966

"Mauve District" (1966) is an abstract painting by Helen Frankenthaler. The artwork, housed in the Museum of Modern Art, exemplifies the artist's signature "soak-stain" technique. Thinned oil paints are applied to a canvas, allowing the colors to seep into the surface, creating a soft and ethereal effect. The painting's composition is characterized by broad, gestural brushstrokes that create a sense of depth and movement, even within the abstract forms. The colors, primarily a vibrant pink, white, green, and yellow, evoke a sense of tranquility and evoke a feeling of a landscape, although no recognizable figures or objects are present. Frankenthaler’s "soak-stain" technique significantly influenced the development of Color Field painting.