Barnett Newman. The moment II, (1969).

Barnett Newman
The moment II, (1969)
Acrylic on canvas
84 x 72 in. (213.4 x 182.9 cm)
Acquired 1978 from Mrs. Newman

The following is an excerpt from: Christie’s New York. (1988). Contemporary art from the Tremaine Collection, (9 November 1988). (Introduction by Tracy Atkinson, Curator of the Tremaine Collection), (p. 34).

"Newman began creating in 1948 his large, stark canvases interrupted by narrow vertical lines— the ’zip’ paintings for which he is best known. The Moment II is a classic example. According to Harold Rosenberg [1978, p. 24 in Barnett Newman], this line dividing the rectangle was recognized by the artist as his sign and he felt this ’zip’ to be a channel of spiritual tension. After World War II the artist viewed his painting at a painting as a new beginning and likened it to God’s Creation, making Newman’s work religious in subject matter."

The current location of Barnett Newman’s The moment II is unknown. Click to see a photo of the artwork.

To learn more about Barnett Newman’s The moment II since 1978, click the link(s) to article and exhibition compilations with documentation below.