Robert Indiana - Gloster Heming

1977

This bold and graphically striking lithograph by Robert Indiana, titled  Gloster Heming
, was created in 1977 as part of the project “The Mother of Us All”.  Indiana designed the costumes and sets for this pop opera by Virgil Thomson, featuring several figures who played important roles during the Women's Suffrage Movement.  He subsequently translated these designs into a limited series of lithographs.

Hand-signed and dated “R. Indiana ’77” in pencil, lower right
Numbered in pencil, lower left – from a limited edition of 150

Professionally framed in bespoke white wooden frame, hand-made, with Plexiglas® Optical HC for visual clarity and protection of the delicate print. 
Size framed approx. 65 x 55 cm 

In this artwork, Indiana presents a faceless figure striding confidently with a “Votes for Women” placard while pushing a striking red penny-farthing bicycle. The sash across the chest reads “Gloucester Herring,” a reference to a character from the opera who symbolically supported the suffrage cause.

Known for his iconic LOVE image, Indiana’s work often reflects themes of American identity, activism, and social justice, and The Vote stands as a powerful artistic tribute to the struggle for gender equality.

Robert Indiana (1928–2018) was a key figure in the American Pop Art movement. Famed for his use of bold text and graphic iconography, Indiana’s work engages with issues of identity, history, and politics. His work is held in major museums worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York and the Tate Modern in London.