Mark Rothko's 1959 Untitled Painting Featured in National Gallery Exhibition
The National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, is featuring Mark Rothko's 1959 artwork titled Untitled from November 19, 2023, to March 31, 2024, in the exhibit Mark Rothko: Paintings on Paper. This piece, which is 30 inches by 21 7/8 inches (76.2 cm by 55.6 cm) and created with oil on Whatman illustration board, is part of a notable collection donated by The Mark Rothko Foundation. Rothko, who developed his Color Field style around 1947, created around 350 paper pieces using a staining method for subtle color shifts. The 1959 Untitled piece is currently owned privately, with its copyright held by Kate Rothko Prizel and Christopher Rothko.
Key facts
- Mark Rothko's Untitled (1959) was exhibited at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC from November 19, 2023 to March 31, 2024
- The painting measures 30 in x 21 7/8 in (76.2 cm x 55.6 cm) and is oil on Whatman illustration board
- Rothko created approximately 350 artworks on paper throughout his career
- The painting features three floating rectangles in red, white, purple, and yellow with blurred edges
- Rothko developed his Color Field style around 1947 after moving away from Expressionism and Surrealism
- The artist intentionally avoided descriptive titles after 1947 to focus viewers on visual elements
- Rothko insisted his large works be hung close to the floor to avoid decorative interpretations
- The National Gallery of Art holds one of the largest Rothko collections, donated by The Mark Rothko Foundation
Entities
Artists
- Mark Rothko
- Adolph Gottlieb
- Barnett Newman
- Henry Elkan
Institutions
- National Gallery of Art
- Museum of Modern Art
- Art Gallery of Ontario
- The Mark Rothko Foundation
- Archives of American Art
- Smithsonian Institution
- The New York Times
- The Tiger's Eye
Locations
- Washington, DC
- USA
- New York City
- NY
- Toronto
- Canada