Untitled

c. 1949

Mark Rothko

Associated Names
Mark Rothko

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

The painting shows blurred rectangular shapes and soft lines. The shapes resemble large stones or blocks in a hazy mist. One reddish-brown form is near the center and a brownish-gray one is below it, surrounded by diffuse edges blending into the textured surface. The background is dominated by earthy tones and muted colors, suggesting the merging of natural elements. The edges of the canvas have a raw, unfinished appearance.
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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    watercolor on watercolor paper

  • Credit Line

    Gift of The Mark Rothko Foundation, Inc.

  • Dimensions

    sheet: 104.3 × 69.21 cm (41 1/16 × 27 1/4 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1986.43.257

  • Copyright

    Copyright © 2023 Kate Rothko Prizel and Christopher Rothko

Artwork history & notes

Exhibition History

1984

  • Mark Rothko: Works on Paper, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.; Museum of Art, Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh; Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; Milwaukee Art Museum; Portland Art Museum, OR; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; Fort Worth Art Museum, 1984-1986, no. 22.

1999

  • A Rebours: La Rebelión Informalista (The Informal Rebellion) [1939-1968], Centro Atlántico de Arte Moderno, Gran Canaria; Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid, 1999, cat. pg. 263.

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. 45, repro. (shown only in Columbia and Columbus).

2023

  • Mark Rothko: Paintings on Paper, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC; The National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design, Oslo, 2023-2024, no. 47, repro.

Bibliography

1984

  • Clearwater, Bonnie. Mark Rothko: Works on Paper. Exh. cat. American Federation of Arts touring exhibition. New York, 1984: cat.no.22.

1999

  • Ashton, Dore. À Rebours: The Informal Rebellion, 1939-1968. Exh. cat. Museo Nacional Centro d'Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid, 1999: p. 263.

2023

  • Greenhalgh, Adam.Mark Rothko: Paintings on Paper. Exh. cat. National Gallery of Art, Washington; National Museum of Art, Architecture, and Design, Oslo, 2024: unpaginated, pl. 47.

Inscriptions

Verso in black crayon: MARK ROTHKO

Watermarks

Whatman: HAND MADE [undecipherable] ENGLAND

Wikidata ID

Q64595557

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