Ellsworth Kelly American, born 1923 Stele II, 1973 one-inch weathering steel Gift of The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation 1999.15.2

After moving from Manhattan to the countryside in New York State in 1970, Ellsworth Kelly began to make large sculptures for the outdoors. The distinctive shape of Stele II had already appeared in the artist's abstract paintings and is loosely based on a French kilometer marker, an object Kelly observed during his years in Paris after World War II. Alluding to the severe presence of the work, especially in a landscape setting, the title refers to a type of ancient stone monument that traditionally served a commemorative function. Like most ancient stelae, this sculpture is also essentially planar and upright. The steel weathers when exposed to the elements, developing an evenly corroded, non-reflective surface.(8 of 17)