Sketch in the Shade

1925

Mark Rothko

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

We look across a river reflecting moss-green and lemon-yellow trees beneath an ice-blue sky in this loosely painted vertical landscape. The water spans the bottom third of the composition, and the riverbanks come together in a wide, upside-down V where it meets the tall trees. To our left, that tree and the reflection of it fills nearly the left half of the picture, and it extends off the top and left edges. Lower trees to the right come about three-quarters of the way up the painting. The top right corner is filled with blended strokes of ivory white and pale blue for the sky.
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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    oil on canvas board

  • Credit Line

    Gift of The Mark Rothko Foundation, Inc.

  • Dimensions

    overall: 40.5 × 30 cm (15 15/16 × 11 13/16 in.)

  • Accession

    1986.56.650

  • Copyright

    Copyright © 1998 Kate Rothko Prizel and Christopher Rothko

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

The artist [1903-1970]; his estate; transferred 1979 to The Mark Rothko Foundation, Inc., New York; gift 1986 to NGA.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1998

  • American Light: Selections from the National Gallery of Art, Art Museum of Western Virginia, Roanoke, May-August 1998, no cat.

  • Treasures of Light: Paintings from the National Gallery of Art, Dixon Gallery and Gardens, Memphis, March-April 1998, no cat.

Bibliography

1984

  • Clearwater, Bonnie. Mark Rothko: Works on Paper. New York, 1984: 19, repro.

1992

  • American Paintings: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1992: 272, repro.

1998

  • Anfam, David. Mark Rothko: The Works on Canvas: Catalogue Raisonné. New Haven and London, 1998: no. 3, repro.

Inscriptions

lower edge reverse, inverted: SKETCH IN THE SHADE JULY 1925

Wikidata ID

Q20192583

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