Barnett Newman. The Euclidian Abyss, (1946-47).

ADC staff
Emily Hall Tremaine / Collection
15 March 2019 | Updated 9 October 2019

Barnett Newman
Euclydian Abyss, (1946-47)
Gouache on canvas board
28 x 22 in. (71.1 x 55.9 cm)
Acquired 1948 from artist through the Chicago Art Institute
(A01489; L01321-23)


The following is an excerpt from: Wadsworth Atheneum. (1984). The Tremaine Collection: 20th Century masters; The spirit of Modernism exhibition catalogue, p. 73 with photo of artwork. (Exhibition dates: 26 February - 29 April 1984).

"Two earlier drawings and one watercolor exist for Euclidian Abyss. Comparing these studies to the final work permits a unique insight into Newman’s development at a turning point in his career. As the scheme progressed, the artist eliminated all incidental detail, deleting the symbols of germination that figure in all three drawings so that the two areas of yellow dominate the field: a living ’zip’, which makes a flowing division across the atmospheric ground, and the static, inflexible geometric form, which cuts off the edge. Newman later indicated that Euclydian Abyss, as well as a second version of this theme painted in 1947, The death of Euclid, was a demonstration of the perils of geometry, signalling that the old concepts of art were at an end. Newman did not return to such literal subject matter again, but these two paintings defines his rejection of Constructivism and his commitment to the transcendental that was to occupy the rest of his career."

Since 1997, Euclidian Abyss, (1946-47) has been in a private collection. Click to see a photo of the artwork.

To learn about Barnett Newman’s Euclidian Abyss, (1946-47), since 1948, click the links below to articles and exhibition compilations with documentation.

Emily Hall Tremaine Papers at the Smithsonian, reproduction permissions section: Shortlisted guide to artworks

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ADC staff - 19 Mar 20

Emily Hall Tremaine Papers at the Smithsonian, reproduction permissions section: Shortlisted guide to artworks To assist researchers, below is a quick scan through the documentation that specifies which artworks are mentioned in each folder. As a reminder, this documentation provides leads,...

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The Tremaine Collection: 20th Century Masters exhibition catalogue (list of photos of artworks and designs) (1984)

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ADC staff - 26 Aug 19

The Tremaine Collection: 20th Century Masters exhibition catalogue (list of photos of artworks and designs) (1984) The following is a photo index of the catalogue accompanying the exhibition at the Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, CT (26 February - 29 April 1984). The following photos of artworks...

Rethinking Painting toward architecture (1947-52) (2017)

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The Painting toward architecture exhibition (1947-52) by the Miller Company Collection of Abstract Art: The artworks and designs (2016)

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The Painting toward architecture exhibition (1947-52), Miller Company Collection of Abstract Art: Documentation and historical information

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Tremaine Collection artworks and designs in exhibitions (compilation; 1945-present)

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Tremaine Collection artworks and designs in exhibitions (compilation; 1945-present) Starting with their Miller Company Collection of Abstract Art, Burton Tremaine and Emily Hall Tremaine, known for her great eye, built a collection of works which were featured in hundreds of exhibitions. After...