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The Stations of the Cross (Newman)

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First Station
ArtistBarnett Newman
Year1958
MediumMagna on canvas
Dimensions197.8 cm × 153.7 cm (77 7/8 in × 60 1/2 in)
LocationNational Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Fourteenth Station
ArtistBarnett Newman
Year1965/1966
MediumAcrylic and Duco on canvas
Dimensions198.1 cm × 152.2 cm (78 in × 59 15/16 in)
LocationNational Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

The Stations of the Cross is a series of fifteen abstract expressionist paintings created between 1958 and 1966 by Barnett Newman, often considered to be his greatest work.[1] It consists of fourteen paintings, each named after one of Jesus's fourteen Stations, followed by a coda, Be II. Unlike most depictions of the Stations of the Cross, Newman did not intend for this to be a narrative journey of Jesus's suffering. Rather, it was intended to evoke the central question of the Passion, lema sabachthani (why have you forsaken me?).[2] The secular, Jewish Newman used this central theme of Christian theology to probe the human condition rather than towards its historical purpose of devotion or worship.[3]

The series has been seen as a memorial to the victims of the Holocaust.[4]

History

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The painting series was unveiled at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in 1966, in an exhibition titled The Stations of the Cross: Lema Sabachthani.[5][6][7]

The National Gallery of Art bought the paintings in 1987 from Newman's widow for an estimated $5 to $7 million, through a donation from Robert and Jane Meyerhoff.[8][9] They were put on permanent display.[10]

Exhibition history

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Dates Museum City Show
April 20 – June 19, 1966 Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum New York City The Stations of the Cross: Lema Sabachthani[5][6][7]
October 21, 1971 – January 10, 1972 Museum of Modern Art New York City Barnett Newman[11][12]
June 1, 1978 – January 14, 1979 National Gallery of Art Washington, DC American Art at Mid-Century: The Subjects of the Artist[13][14][15]
May 31 – July 13, 1980 Schloss Charlottenburg Berlin Signs of Faith, Spirit of the Avant-Garde: Religious Tendencies in 20th Century Art
March 24 – July 7, 2002 Philadelphia Museum of Art Philadelphia Barnett Newman[16]
September 19, 2002 – January 5, 2003 Tate Modern London
June 7 – October 12, 2014 de Young Museum San Francisco Modernism from the National Gallery of Art: The Robert + Jane Meyerhoff Collection[17]
March 14 – June 7, 2015 Miho Museum Kyoto Barnett Newman: The Stations of the Cross[18]

References

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  1. ^ "Barnett Newman's Masterpiece "Stations of the Cross" is Focus of Fifth "In the Tower" Exhibition at National Gallery of Art, June 10, 2012–February 24, 2013". www.nga.gov. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
  2. ^ Kennicott, Philip (2023-05-24). "Barnett Newman's 'Stations of the Cross' draws pilgrims to the National Gallery". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
  3. ^ Floyd, Emily (2013-05-24). "Barnett Newman, The Stations of the Cross: Lema Sabachtani". mavcor.yale.edu. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
  4. ^ Menachem Wecker (August 1, 2012). "His Cross To Bear. Barnett Newman Dealt With Suffering in 'Zips'". The Jewish Daily Forward. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
  5. ^ a b "Newman exhibit at Guggenheim". The Jersey Journal. Jersey City, NJ. April 12, 1966 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ a b Walter Barker (June 12, 1966). "The Passion without the image". St. Louis Post-Dispatch – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ a b Lawrence Alloway (1966). Barnett Newman: The Stations of the Cross: Lema Sabachthani. The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation.
  8. ^ Jo Ann Lewis (February 23, 1987). "Jack Cowart: The century's trove". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  9. ^ Jacqueline Trescott (March 4, 2008). "Meyerhoff estate to become wing of National Gallery". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  10. ^ Michael Brenson (March 18, 1991). "National Gallery puts its gifts on display". The New York Times. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  11. ^ Lawrence Alloway (December 1971). "Color, Culture, the Stations: Notes on the Barnett Newman Memorial Exhibition". Artforum. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  12. ^ "Barnett Newman". Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  13. ^ Paul Richard (June 1, 1978). "Art to match a masterpiece". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  14. ^ Paul Richard (June 10, 1978). "Seven abstract American heroes". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  15. ^ E.A. Carmean, Jr.; Eliza E. Rathbone (1978). American Art at Mid-Century: The Subjects of the Artist. National Gallery of Art. p. 186.
  16. ^ "Barnett Newman". Philadelphia Museum of Art. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  17. ^ "Modernism from the National Gallery of Art: The Robert + Jane Meyerhoff Collection". Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  18. ^ "Barnett Newman: The Stations of the Cross". Miho Museum. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
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