Prior states: evolution of composition and color in two Barnett Newman paintings

Abstract

The color field paintings of Barnett Newman, one of the great American abstract expressionist painters, are seminal works of the modern era. They feature large flat fields of vibrant colors intended to allow the viewer to connect with the paintings in immediate, visceral ways. Despite the apparent simplicity of his compositions, Newman considered himself an intuitive painter and allowed his compositions to evolve during the painting process. Two paintings in the Menil Collection, Untitled 2 (1950) and Unfinished Painting [Blue and Brown 1970—#2] (1970) display visual evidence of former states, but attempts to elucidate earlier compositions by X-radiography were inconclusive due to the lack of contrast in paint densities. We applied limited sampling and used a handheld X-ray fluorescence spectrometer in a ‘scanning’ manner to determine the color and composition of the previous states of these paintings to help us better understand their evolution. Newman altered his initial cadmium red and alizarin composition in Untitled 2 (1950) by overpainting the alizarin region with a wider band of Mars black paint. He then modulated the surface of the black by partially covering it with a carbonaceous black with a different gloss. For Unfinished Painting [Blue and Brown 1970—#2] (1970), Newman not only changed the cadmium red to an umber but simplified the composition, removing multiple zips and refining it to its current monumental state. This evidence of Newman’s decision-making processes permits a tantalizing glimpse of the artist consistently looking both ahead and backward, experimenting and revisiting.