Bertha

Stanley Mouse

21 1/$’ x 21 1/4” x 1 1/4”

Cherry 2025

One of the most enduring images associated with the visual language of the Grateful Dead, Bertha has appeared in numerous variations across decades of work by Stanley Mouse.

The figure—skull framed by roses within a circular field—balances mortality and ornament, structure and rhythm. Its repitition across time has made it less a single image than a constant presence within the band’s visual identity.

In carving this version, the emphasis turns to reduction. Without color, the image resolves through depth, edge and surface. The circular form holds the composition, allowing the roses and figure to emerge through restraint rather than elaboration.

Within The Eleven Collection, Bertha serves as a central anchor—an image that carries the weight.