Mark Rothko
1903 - 1970
American Painter
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ART
Vol. 3
Mark Rothko (1903-1970)


Mark Rothko (b.1903), born Marcus Rothkowitz in Dvinsk (then part of the Russian Empire, now Latvia), came from a Jewish family that immigrated to the United States to escape persecution. Growing up in Portland, Oregon, he was shaped by both the hardship of displacement and the intellectual curiosity that would later define his art.

During the 1930s and early 1940s, Rothko painted figurative works, including city scenes, subway passengers, and portraits - works that capture anonymous human figures. By the mid-1940s, Rothko began to move away from recognizable forms, experimenting with floating shapes and developing what he called “Multiforms,” a stepping toward the large color fields of his later work. In this transitional phase, his focus remained on conveying emotion rather than narrative. Rothko avoided giving his paintings descriptive or symbolic titles and simply labeled “Untitled,” 
or given numbers, inviting viewers to interpret the work freely, 
without being guided toward a specific story. 


“Stand close, about eighteen inches away. Let the experience overwhelm you.” - Mark Rothko 

By the 1950s, Rothko’s canvases consisted of large, softly edged color rectangles that seemed to float and vibrate. Rothko’s blurred and semi-translucent edges produced a shimmering boundary rather than a sharp division. The layered washes were built up gradually by applying thin glazes over earlier layers to create a sense of depth. The viewer can often sense the presence of several hidden layers of pigment beneath the surface, 
each reflecting shifts of color and emotion that feel almost impossible to define. Rothko’s canvases were massive, inviting the viewer to come close 
and feel themselves in the depths of his colors. Yet, from afar, they appeared calm almost like open fields. 
The Seagram Murals (1958)


“Anybody who will eat that kind of food for those kind of prices will never look at a painting of mine”

One of the most instructive episodes in Rothko’s career is the Seagram Murals commission in 1958-1959. 
He was commissioned to produce murals for the Four Seasons restaurant in the Seagram Building, New York. 

Initially, Rothko accepted. But during or after completion, he visited the restaurant and was deeply disturbed by the context 
and soon decided to withdraw the works, return “every cent of the commission,” and reclaim his paintings. 
He refused to let his paintings be mere decoration and wanted them in a space of emotion rather than consumption. 
Interestingly, this is also when his palette darkened. 

The murals lean into burgundy, deep crimsons, blacks, and plums which are colors of depth and shadow. 
The canvases were kept in storage for several years before eventually being donated to the Tate. 
The red paint was applied in fast, broken brushstrokes using a large commercial decorator’s brush. Through broad, sweeping gestures, 
Rothko spread the pigment across the surface, blurring the boundaries between the rectangular forms and creating a dynamic sense of movement and depth. Over time, this effect has only grown more pronounced as the pigments have faded at different rates. 
Rothko Chapel

The Rothko Chapel in Houston, Texas, is perhaps the clearest expression of what Rothko was trying to do with his paintings. 
Rothko created a space where his paintings could be fully experienced as he believed the importance of emotional exchange with the viewers. 

Rothko dedicated the final six years of his life almost entirely to creating works for the Chapel. Inside the octagonal building, 14 of his large canvases are displayed, arranged to face one another. The color palette of maroons, blacks, purples and reds dominate the canvases and express a deep and meditative atmosphere. The space is defined entirely by the paintings, leaving the visitor to experience them however they feel. 
Rothko thought carefully about light, making sure it filtered soft and naturally from high windows so that the colors would seem to shift depending on the time of day. 

Tragically, Rothko never saw the completed Chapel. He struggled with severe depression and took his own life in 1970. 
Despite this, the Rothko Chapel still stands today as a testament to his vision.