Untitled (Portland, Oregon)

1933

Mark Rothko

Associated Names
Mark Rothko

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

The image features an elevated point of view overlooking a cityscape. In the distance, there are blurred shapes suggesting a landscape extending into the horizon. A bridge crosses a body of water flowing through the center. Buildings are closely set together, composed of abstract shapes and dabs of color. The brushstrokes are spontaneous and expressive, with a watercolor technique allowing colors to blend and overlap. The color palette includes greens, reds, blues, and earth tones. Whites and soft yellows at the top suggest the sky, while the varied colors create a lively impression of the urban environment.
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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    watercolor on watercolor paper

  • Credit Line

    Gift of The Mark Rothko Foundation, Inc.

  • Dimensions

    sheet: 38.1 × 49.05 cm (15 × 19 5/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1986.43.214

  • Copyright

    Copyright © 2023 Kate Rothko Prizel and Christopher Rothko

Artwork history & notes

Exhibition History

1933

  • Drawings and Water Colors by M. Rothkowitz, The Museum of Art, Portland, OR, 1933.

  • Exhibition of Oils, Water-colors, Drawings by Marcus Rothkowitz, Contemporary Arts, New York, 1933, possibly no. 16.

2023

  • Mark Rothko: Paintings on Paper, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC; The National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design, Oslo, 2023-2024, no. 14 (shown only in Washington).

Bibliography

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. 14.

Inscriptions

Lower left in gray-green paint: Mark Rothko; lower right in ink: M Rothkowitz

Wikidata ID

Q64595503

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