Ryman’s Classico 5 is emblematic of the artist’s monochromatic paintings. Instead of a canvas, the support is three rows of four sheets of off-white Classico paper. Ryman painted an off-center monochrome square in a brighter white on top of this paper grid—revealing subtle differences in gradients of white. When Ryman finished painting, he removed the tape connecting the corners of the paper, disrupting the uniformity of the paint and adding yet another element of complexity to what may otherwise appear to be an accumulation of paper.