Rothko

Shimmering, pulsating masses of color characterize Mark Rothko 's Abstract Expressionist masterpieces. Like no other artist of his generation, Rothko developed his own stylistic vocabulary, creating floor-to-ceiling canvases meant to be experienced rather than seen, immersing viewers in the drama, intimacy, and tragedy of the human condition.

Resistant to interpretation and classification, Mark Rothko (1903–1970) was a staunch advocate of the artist's total expressive freedom. Although identified as one of the protagonists of Abstract Expressionism born in New York, Rothko always rejected this label, insisting instead on "a complete experience between the painting and the viewer."

After an initial figurative repertoire, Rothko developed his iconic canvases made of bold fields of color in red, yellow, ochre, purple, black, or green. With these shimmering, pulsating masses of color, he claimed he had not eliminated the human figure, but rather replaced it with symbols or shapes. These intense forms, he believed, encapsulated the entire tragedy of the human condition. At the same time, Rothko explicitly assigned the viewer an active role in the expressive potential of his work. He believed that "a painting thrives on companionship, expanding and enlivening in the eyes of a sensitive observer."

From his earliest developments to his celebrated color fields , this volume introduces the intelligence, emotional strength, and influence of Rothko's work: dramatic, intimate, and deeply meditative.

The author