The Stations of the Cross (Newman)

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. 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?). 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.

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

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

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. They were put on permanent display.

Paintings ImageTitleYearMediumFirst Station1958Magna on canvasSecond Station1958Magna on canvasThird Station1960Oil on canvasFourth Station1960Oil on canvasFifth Station1962Oil on canvasSixth Station1962Oil on canvasSeventh Station1964Oil on canvasEighth Station1964Oil on canvasNinth Station1964Acrylic on canvasTenth Station1965Magna on canvasEleventh Station1965Acrylic on canvasTwelfth Station1965Acrylic on canvasThirteenth Station1965/1966Acrylic on canvasFourteenth Station1965/1966Acrylic and Duco on canvasBe II1961/1964Acrylic and oil on canvas

Exhibition history +DatesMuseumCityShowApril 20June 19, 1966Solomon R. Guggenheim MuseumNew York CityThe Stations of the Cross: Lema SabachthaniOctober 21, 1971January 10, 1972Museum of Modern ArtNew York CityBarnett NewmanJune 1, 1978January 14, 1979National Gallery of ArtWashington, DCAmerican Art at Mid-Century: The Subjects of the ArtistMay 31July 13, 1980Schloss CharlottenburgBerlinSigns of Faith, Spirit of the Avant-Garde: Religious Tendencies in 20th Century ArtMarch 24July 7, 2002Philadelphia Museum of ArtPhiladelphiaBarnett NewmanSeptember 19, 2002January 5, 2003Tate ModernLondonJune 7October 12, 2014de Young MuseumSan FranciscoModernism from the National Gallery of Art: The Robert + Jane Meyerhoff CollectionMarch 14June 7, 2015Miho MuseumKyotoBarnett Newman: The Stations of the Cross

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