Keith Haring — Untitled, from Fertility Suite, 1983
Screenprint in colors on paper
42 × 50 in. (106.7 × 127 cm)
Printer’s Proof 3/5 (PP 3/5)
Signed and dated “K. Haring 83” in pencil
From the Fertility Suite
Published by Tony Shafrazi Gallery, New York
Littmann p. 33
Created in 1983, Fertility Suite belongs to the extraordinary early period in which Keith Haring transformed the visual language he had developed on the streets and subway platforms of New York into ambitious, large-scale works on paper. Executed in brilliant fluorescent color and measuring an imposing 50 inches across, this image is among the most exuberant compositions from the celebrated five-part portfolio.
At its center, an enormous spotted figure appears almost to float above a procession of smaller dancing figures. Haring places the female symbol prominently within the central form, directly connecting the image to the themes of fertility, birth, sexuality and regeneration explored throughout the suite. Despite its monumental scale, the composition retains the immediacy of Haring’s drawings: bold outlines, radiant marks and repeated figures create an extraordinary sense of movement and collective energy.
Fertility Suite was created at a pivotal moment in Haring’s career. By 1983, his instantly recognizable vocabulary of radiant babies, dancing figures and universal symbols had moved from New York’s subway system into galleries and collections internationally. The portfolio captures that transition particularly well, combining the spontaneous energy of his street work with the technical sophistication and scale of fine-art printmaking.
This impression is especially notable as Printer’s Proof 3/5, outside the regular edition of 100 and 15 artist’s proofs. It is signed and dated “K. Haring 83” in pencil along the lower margin and is accompanied by historical documentation from Barrington Gallery of London Ltd., New York, including a 1996 Certificate of Authenticity specifically identifying the work as PP 3/5, together with the original 1996 purchase receipt.
Provenance:
Barrington Gallery of London Ltd., New York
Private collection, Switzerland, acquired from the above in 1996
Thence by descent / Private collection
Accompanied by Barrington Gallery Certificate of Authenticity No. 3497 and original purchase documentation
A particularly striking example from one of Haring’s earliest and most important print portfolios, this work combines monumental scale, exceptional color and the rarity of a Printer’s Proof with nearly three decades of documented private ownership.
