Frank Stella (b. 1936)
Frank Stella (b. 1936)

Does the Whale Diminish?

Details
Frank Stella (b. 1936)
Does the Whale Diminish?
oil, oilstick and enamel on aluminum construction
80 x 144 x 36 in. (203.2 x 365.7 x 91.4 cm.)
Executed in 1988.
Provenance
Private collection
Anon. sale; Sotheby's, New York, 16 November 1995, lot 386
M. Knoedler & Co., New York
Private collection, Nagoya
Anon. sale; Christie's, New York, 12 November 2003, lot 412
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner

Brought to you by

Isabella Lauria
Isabella Lauria

Lot essay

A wonderful serenity has taken possession of my entire soul, like these sweet mornings of spring which I enjoy with my whole heart.

I am alone, and feel the charm of existence in this spot, which was created for the bliss of souls like mine. I am so happy, my dear friend, so absorbed in the exquisite sense of mere tranquil existence, that I neglect my talents.

I should be incapable of drawing a single stroke at the present moment; and yet I feel that I never was a greater artist than now.

When, while the lovely valley teems with vapour around me, and the meridian sun strikes the upper surface of the impenetrable foliage of my trees, and but a few stray gleams steal into the inner sanctuary, I throw myself down among the tall grass by the trickling stream; and, as I lie close to the earth, a thousand unknown plants are noticed by me: when I hear the buzz of the little world among the stalks, and grow familiar with the countless indescribable forms of the insects and flies, then I feel the presence of the Almighty.
I am so clever that sometimes I don't understand a single word of what I am saying.
Oscar Wilde

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