The Stations of the Cross: Lema Sabachthani, No. 13 - Barnett Newman

A stark, minimalist composition from Barnett Newman's series, The Stations of the Cross, featuring bold vertical bands in black and white.

The thirteenth work in Barnett Newman's series, The Stations of the Cross: Lema Sabachthani, represents a departure from the artist's earlier, more chromatic explorations. Executed between 1958 and 1966, this series consists of fourteen large-scale canvases that utilise a restricted palette of black, white, and raw canvas. The work is defined by its vertical bands, or zips, which divide the pictorial space. These elements function not as decorative motifs, but as structural anchors that define the relationship between the viewer and the canvas.

Newman's approach to this series was informed by the cry of Jesus on the cross, as recorded in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark: 'Lema sabachthani', meaning 'Why have you forsaken me?'. By stripping away colour, Newman focused on the raw materiality of the paint and the stark contrast between the dark, dense areas and the unprimed ground. The composition is intentionally austere, demanding an immediate, physical response from the observer. The verticality of the lines draws the eye upward, creating a sense of tension that is both formal and emotional.

This series is widely regarded as a meditation on human suffering and the existential condition. Newman avoided traditional religious iconography, choosing instead to communicate through the language of pure abstraction. The absence of narrative detail allows the viewer to engage with the work on a visceral level. The scale of the canvas ensures that the viewer is enveloped by the field of colour, making the experience of the work a singular event. This print captures the precise tonal balance and the stark, uncompromising geometry that define Newman's mature style, offering a clear representation of his contribution to the development of mid-twentieth-century American art.