Untitled

1945/1946

Mark Rothko

Associated Names
Mark Rothko

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

The image displays curving lines and oblong shapes intersecting and overlaying each other in an abstract composition. The design incorporates contrasting colors against a neutral backdrop. The forms on the left side resemble a swirling mass, and on the right, the shapes could hint at a stylized figure or a vase. The central arrangement, marked by upright black forms, might remind viewers of elongated shadows or a distant silhouette. The painting exhibits an abstract style, inviting viewers to explore connections to familiar objects through its dynamic and layered composition.
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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    oil on canvas

  • Credit Line

    Gift of The Mark Rothko Foundation, Inc.

  • Dimensions

    overall: 53.8 x 65.5 cm (21 3/16 x 25 13/16 in.)
    framed: 70 x 79.5 x 11.1 cm (27 9/16 x 31 5/16 x 4 3/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1986.43.103

  • 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

1994

  • Extended loan for use by Ambassador Allen Blinken, U.S. Embassy residence, Brussels, Belgium, 1994-1998.

1999

  • Extended loan for use by Chief of Staff John Podesta, The White House, Washington, D.C., 1999-2001.

2012

  • Mark Rothko: The Decisive Decade, 1940-1950, Columbia Museum of Art, South Carolina; Columbus Museum of Art, Ohio; Denver Art Museum; The Arkansas Arts Center, Little Rock, 2012-2014, no. 23, repro.

Bibliography

1992

  • American Paintings: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1992: 303, repro.

1998

  • Anfam, David. Mark Rothko: The Works on Canvas: Catalogue Raisonné. New Haven and London, 1998: no. 293, repro.

Inscriptions

upper center reverse, sideways: MARK ROTHKO

Wikidata ID

Q20193782

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