Mark Rothko, Untitled [Multiform],1948, Collection of Kate Rothko Prizel In these multiforms the liquid paint soaks the canvas,
leaving soft, indistinct edges, while whitish outlines surround
some of the shapes like haloes. Rothko now relied on these shapes,
which replaced the earlier biomorphic motifs, to convey emotional
states. Throughout this series the artist's work reveals a greater
breadth of both composition and scale and a heightened attention
to color. At this point Rothko began to paint the edges of his
stretched canvases, which he displayed without confining frames.
