Robert Indiana - Tikva 2018

Tikva 2018

Artist: Robert Indiana (1928, New Castle, Indiana – 2018, Vinalhaven, Maine)
Medium: Screenprint in colours with Wove paper, with full margins                                      Edition : 17
Dimensions: 81.4 x 76.4 cm
Signature : Titled and numbered in pencil                                                                  Publisher : American Image Art, New York — blindstamp present

Description:

Tikva (2018) is one of the last and most significant works produced by Robert Indiana before his death in May 2018 — a large-format screenprint in which the artist turned to the Hebrew language for the first time, rendering the word תקוה (Tikva, meaning "hope") in his signature monumental graphic style: bold white letterforms set against a deep cobalt blue ground, contained within a square border that recalls both the architectural solidity of his LOVE compositions and the visual tradition of Hebrew typography and illuminated manuscripts.

The choice of Hebrew — and of this particular word — carries extraordinary weight in Indiana's final years. Tikva is the root of HaTikvah, the Israeli national anthem, and one of the most resonant words in Jewish cultural memory: hope as both aspiration and endurance, the belief that what is sought will eventually be found. Indiana, whose entire career was built on the power of single words to carry civilisational weight — LOVE, EAT, DIE, HOPE — here reaches toward a language and a tradition beyond his own, in a work that functions simultaneously as personal statement, cultural bridge, and formal achievement.

The composition is masterly in its simplicity: the Hebrew letters, enlarged to near-abstraction, interlock and overlap within the blue field in a way that makes the word simultaneously legible and architectural — a structure as much as a text. The cobalt blue — saturated, flat, and absolute — recalls Yves Klein's IKB, the Israeli flag, and the long tradition of blue as the colour of the divine in both Jewish and Christian iconography.

Published by American Image Art, New York — Indiana's long-standing publisher — in an edition of just 17 impressions, with the publisher's blindstamp, titled and dated in pencil. One of the rarest prints of Indiana's career, and among the most historically significant works of his final period.

Shipping & Delivery:
✔ Worldwide shipping from France
✔ Professional packaging with insurance
✔ Tracking number included for secure delivery

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FAQ 

Is this an original Robert Indiana print? Yes — an original screenprint in colours on wove paper, titled and dated in pencil by the artist, from an edition of 17.

What does "Tikva" mean? Tikva (תקוה) means "hope" in Hebrew — the root of HaTikvah, the Israeli national anthem, and one of the most resonant words in Jewish cultural and spiritual tradition.

What is the edition size? Strictly limited to 17 impressions — one of the smallest and rarest editions in Indiana's entire print catalogue.

When was this work made? In 2018 — the year of Indiana's death, making this among his final published works.

Who published this work? American Image Art, New York — Indiana's long-standing publisher, whose blindstamp is present on the sheet.

Is the work framed? No — sold unframed with full margins.

Do you ship internationally? Yes — worldwide, with museum-grade flat packaging, full insurance, and shipment tracking.