Getty Tomb

Frank Stella’s seminal study for Getty Tomb is a remarkable example from one of the artist’s most lauded series: his Black Paintings from 1958 to 1960. Getty Tomb features a perfectly symmetrical monochromatic pattern of stripes equidistant from each other. Stella positioned the rectangular striped form in the lower left quadrant of the sheet, a nod to the artist’s keen sense of form and use of negative space. The format smartly shifts the focus from the symmetrical pattern to the asymmetrical relationship between its positioning within the confines of the sheet, confronting the perspective of the viewer and how they engage with the work. Stella would typically sign his works at a later date than when they were executed, as is the case with this drawing. Executed in 1967, however signed in 1983, Getty Tomb is a seminal, early example from the artist's ouevre.