Rural Scene

c. 1936

Mark Rothko

Associated Names
Mark Rothko

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

The image shows a landscape scene with a fence running diagonally across the lower left. A thatch-roofed structure is on the left. In the distance, fields extend towards the horizon, where trees line the skyline against a textured sky of warm hues. The brushstrokes are bold and expressive, creating dynamic textures. Two figures are seated in the foreground, one in red and the other in blue, contrasting the golden tones of the field. The color palette includes rusts, reds, blues, and greens.
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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    oil on canvas

  • Credit Line

    Gift of The Mark Rothko Foundation, Inc.

  • Dimensions

    overall: 68.5 x 96.8 cm (26 15/16 x 38 1/8 in.)
    framed: 73.5 x 101.8 x 5.2 cm (28 15/16 x 40 1/16 x 2 1/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1986.43.19

  • 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

1998

  • Mark Rothko, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.; Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, 1998-1999, no. 2 (NGA/WMAA cat.), repro. (shown only in Washington and New York).

2008

  • Extended loan for use by Secretary Ed Schafer, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C., 2008.

2009

  • Extended loan for use by Secretary Arne Duncan, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C., 2009-2016.

Bibliography

1992

  • American Paintings: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1992: 281, repro.

1998

  • Anfam, David. Mark Rothko: The Works on Canvas: Catalogue Raisonné. New Haven and London, 1998: no. 83, repro.

Inscriptions

center left reverse, sideways: 1934 / Rural Scene / MARK Rothko

Wikidata ID

Q20193051

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