Recent auction results for Helen Frankenthaler’s major 1970s soak-stain acrylics continue to anchor trader sentiment ahead of the October 7 sale of “Return and Exit” at Sotheby’s, where it carries a $1.5–2 million estimate. Strong realized prices, including “Strike” at $1.49 million in February 2026 and several peers clearing $4–7 million, reflect sustained collector and institutional demand for her signature color-field compositions. The 1974 canvas last sold privately in 2008 for $475,500, and its reappearance follows spring museum and gallery exhibitions that have reinforced her mid-to-high market positioning. With no new consignment updates in recent weeks, market-implied odds hinge on whether comparable lots exceed low estimates in the current evening-sale environment.