Early Mark Rothko Watercolor Donated to Cape Ann Museum by Artist's Son

Christopher Rothko, son of Mark Rothko, has donated a 1934 watercolor and gouache painting, Untitled (wharf, Gloucester, Massachusetts), to the Cape Ann Museum in Gloucester, Massachusetts. The work, which depicts the Inner Harbor of Gloucester from East Gloucester, is now part of the museum's permanent collection. It was previously on view in the exhibition Avery, Gottlieb & Rothko: By the Sea, curated by Eliza Rathbone, Chief Curator Emerita of the Phillips Collection. The painting dates from a period when Rothko was still working figuratively, influenced by his time in Gloucester alongside mentor Milton Avery and friend Adolph Gottlieb. This is the first Rothko work to enter the Cape Ann Museum's collection. Christopher Rothko expressed that the gift reflects his love for the city and his father's sentiments during his stays there. The museum's director, Oliver Barker, called the donation a great honor. The exhibition remains on view until September 27, 2026, and will then travel to the Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. Rothko and his sister, Dr. Kate Rothko Prizel, will participate in a two-day symposium at the museum on September 17 and 18.