Voice of Fire

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Voice of Fire is an acrylic on canvas painting executed by American painter Barnett Newman in 1967.

The purchase of Voice of Fire by the National Gallery of Canada for its permanent collection in 1989 at a cost of $1.8 million caused a storm of controversy, as the painting consists only of a red stripe on a blue background. Since its purchase, the value of the painting has appreciated sharply. Somewhat amusingly, the painting is remarkably identical to the flag of the Canadian Military Engineers.

A book called Voices of Fire: Art Rage, Power, and the State, edited by Bruce Barber, Serge Guilbaut and John O'Brian and published in 1996 by the University of Toronto Press, discusses the issues around the purchase of the painting.

[edit] External links

• Artist's works Fire up debate by Ann Marie McQueen, Ottawa Sun