Recent Acquisitions: Barnett Newman

The League's permanent collection traces the past 150 years of American art with more than 2,500 outstanding works by League artists. Today, the League continues to collect artwork by current and former instructors and students in every medium – from painting and drawing to sculpture and mixed media. Newly acquired works are on view in the Registration Office.

This rotation of recent acquisitions features 20 unsigned and undated works on paper attributed to Barnett Newman, who attended the League in the 1920s, taking drawing classes with Duncan Smith. During that time, he exhibited his drawing of the Belvedere torso in the annual Student Salons and was awarded best in his class. While this accolade was prescient, Newman would not receive much acclaim until many decades later, in the 1960s. Newman is best known for his “zip” paintings — produced between the late 1940s and the artist’s death in 1970 — which get their name from their compositions, centered around one or more thin vertical stripes within an otherwise opaque field of color.

The League extends its deepest gratitude to the Carroll Family Collection for donating these important works. They are shown alongside five works on paper and three paintings on loan from a private collection.

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View a PDF of the catalogue here. Free printed copies of the catalogue are available at the League.