Painted canvas fragment c. 20th century

Curator: This is a painted canvas fragment by Barnett Newman, found at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It looks so raw, unfinished. The stark contrast between the unprimed canvas and that slash of red is quite striking. Curator: Fragments like this offer glimpses into an artist’s process, his experimentation. Newman, of course, sought the sublime through pure abstraction. What could this scrap signify within his larger project? Editor: Perhaps it's a statement on the act of creation itself—the canvas as a site of struggle, of applying and withholding meaning through color. The rawness really conveys that struggle. Curator: Absolutely. We can even think about the socio-political context. Newman's work emerged after the Second World War. The idea of making art, of confronting trauma through abstract expression… Editor: It’s powerful to consider how such a small piece can still provoke those kinds of reflections. Curator: Indeed. It's a testament to the enduring force of art.