Descending Helix
1962
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
lithograph (zinc) in orange, green, and black on Rives BFK paper
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1964.8.2591
Art Historical Context
Descending Helix is a striking 1962 lithograph Reva Urban, part of the National Gallery of Art's esteemed Rosenwald Collection. Created using zinc plates in vibrant orange, green, and black inks on luxurious Rives BFK paper, this print exemplifies mid-20th-century innovation in American printmaking. The title evokes a spiraling form—perhaps suggesting motion or natural structures like a helix—rendered with bold, contrasting colors that draw the eye downward in dynamic tension. Lithography on zinc, a technique Urban employed here, allowed for precise control over tonal gradations and rich colo...