The Stations of the Cross (Newman)
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| The Stations of the Cross | |
|---|---|
| Artist | Barnett Newman |
| Year | 1958–1966 |
| Medium | Magna, oil and acrylic on canvas |
| Movement | Abstract expressionism |
| Location | National 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]
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]
