The artwork titled “The Station of the Cross – Thirteenth Station,” created by Barnett Newman between 1965 and 1966, is an abstract piece associated with the Color Field Painting movement. This genre emphasizes large swaths of solid color to provoke an emotional response and create a sense of vastness.
In the artwork, Newman employs a minimalist composition marked by stark, vertical, dark and light bands. The central section consists of deep black vertical stripes flanked by contrasting narrower white vertical stripes, creating a powerful visual dichotomy. This juxtaposition of light and dark captures Newman’s distinctive style of expressing profound, often spiritual themes through abstract means. The simplicity and purity of the form invite viewers to engage deeply with the emotional and existential implications of the work.
