Untitled

1945/1946

Mark Rothko

Associated Names
Mark Rothko

Painter, American, born Russia (now Latvia), 1903 - 1970

The image displays swirling and curved lines intersecting with angular and fragmented shapes. The artwork includes elements that could be associated with musical instruments or waves, using blues, grays, and hints of yellow. The scene suggests the silhouette of a horn-like structure or a crescent intertwined with geometric forms, showcasing a variety of objects merging together in an imaginative depiction.
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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    oil on canvas

  • Credit Line

    Gift of The Mark Rothko Foundation, Inc.

  • Dimensions

    overall: 79.7 x 100.7 cm (31 3/8 x 39 5/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1986.43.68

  • Copyright

    Copyright © 1998 Kate Rothko Prizel and Christopher Rothko

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

The artist [1903-1970]; his estate; consigned 1970 to (Marlborough Gallery, Inc., New York); transferred 1977 back to the artist's estate;[1] transferred 1979 to The Mark Rothko Foundation, Inc., New York; gift 1986 to NGA.
[1] For a detailed discussion of the transactions surrounding the Rothko estate see Lee Seldes, Legacy of Mark Rothko, New York, 1978.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1947

  • Possibly Mark Rothko: Recent Paintings, Betty Parsons Gallery, New York, 1947, no. 4, as Gesture.

2010

  • In the Tower: Mark Rothko, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 2010-2011, unnumbered brochure, as Gesture (?).

Bibliography

1992

  • American Paintings: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1992: 304, repro.

1998

  • Anfam, David. Mark Rothko: The Works on Canvas: Catalogue Raisonné. New Haven and London, 1998: no. 288, repro., as Gesture [?] {Untitled}.

Inscriptions

lower right: MARK ROTHKO; lower left reverse: MARK ROTHKO

Wikidata ID

Q20193705

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