Mother and Child

c. 1934

Mark Rothko

Associated Names
Mark Rothko

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

The image shows two individuals from head to toe. The larger person is positioned slightly behind and to the left, with hands clasped in front of their body. They have a prominent facial structure, with a pronounced nose and an undefined expression. They have short, dark hair and wear a dark blue dress with a subtle ruffled detail. Next to them, a smaller individual stands with arms loosely at their sides, wearing a yellow garment. This individual has a lighter complexion and short, dark hair. The background is painted in earthy tones, primarily brown, with a round table on the left holding a red-orange object, possibly a floral arrangement. Shadows and dark hues create a dramatic setting around the figures, suggesting an indoor environment.
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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    oil on canvas

  • Credit Line

    Gift of The Mark Rothko Foundation, Inc.

  • Dimensions

    overall: 64.1 x 48.7 cm (25 1/4 x 19 3/16 in.)
    framed: 74.6 x 57.8 x 6.2 cm (29 3/8 x 22 3/4 x 2 7/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1986.43.95

  • 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

1934

  • Group Exhibition: American Moderns, Uptown Gallery, Continental Club, New York, 1934, checklist no. 33, as by Marcus Rothkowitz.

2000

  • Mark Rothko and the Lure of the Figure: Paintings 1933-1946, University of Michigan Museum of Art, Ann Arbor, 2000-2001, no. 2, repro.

Bibliography

1934

  • Godsoe, Robert Ulrich. "The Art Marts." Whitestone Herald (1934): 5, repro.

1989

  • Chave, Anna C. Mark Rothko: Subjects in Abstraction. New Haven, 1989: 47, repro.

1992

  • American Paintings: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1992: 278, repro.

1998

  • Anfam, David. Mark Rothko: The Works on Canvas: Catalogue Raisonné. New Haven and London, 1998: no. 55, repro.

Inscriptions

center left reverse: MARK ROTHKO

Wikidata ID

Q20192952

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