Canto XII — Fine Art

Canto XII by Barnett Newman uses a plain ground divided by a single broad vertical band. The painting keeps the field open on each side of that shape. Abstract expressionism and colour field painting shape this kind of work, where large areas of paint hold the view.

You get the fine art print with a hanger already on the back. The frame comes in white, wood, dark wood or black. A white frame keeps the edge clean against the plain ground, and a dark wood frame gives the band a firmer line.

Above a long sofa, the broad band reads as one slow shape from across the room. Up close, the paint surface shows the flat colour of the field and the band. The viewer sees the open sides first, then the line between them.