Mark Rothko (1903-1970)(Attributed*): Untitled Abstract Composition, signed verso. Acrylic on primed cotton canvas, framed. Note: This painting was received rolled, and has been attached to a new stretcher, partially obscuring the signature. This painting is accompanied by a certificate of attribution from art historian and painting conservator Bruce Wood, MFA.

In the presence of this painting, one may feel uplifted, energized by its color and the subtle pulsations of its feather-edged forms. This effect is not arbitrary, but the result of the artist's years of working toward the goal of effecting spiritual experience in viewers of his work.

Rothko’s interest in Greek mythology combined with a fascination with Nietzsche’s The Birth of Tragedy led him to believe that his art should address modern man’s spiritual emptiness. He believed that this emptiness was partly due to a lack of mythology. He considered himself a “mythmaker”, and proclaimed that “the exhilarated tragic experience is for me the only source of art”.

His early paintings were influenced by surrealism, and his attempts to make the transition in his paintings from representational to purely emotional art no longer exist. Rothko destroyed many of these paintings himself, feeling that they failed to connect with the viewer on a non-verbal level. .

It was through a long and difficult process that Rothko finally arrived at his ‘color field’ paintings, the style for which he is most known today. He began to paint in a much larger format and spoke about wanting people to actually be in the paintings. These painting have no frames, and the paint extends over the sides, as if to suggest that the painting does not end. He wanted the viewer to be in the painting, and transcend the art viewing experience all together.

As Dore Ashton eloquently wrote: “The interior realm was where Rothko wished to or perhaps could only live, and what he hoped to express. The ‘theater of the mind,’ as Mallarmé called it, was immensely dramatic for Rothko. His darkness at the end did allude to the light of the theater in which, when the lights are gradually dimmed, expectation mounts urgently” (Dore Ashton, About Rothko, New York, 1983, p. 189)

  • Provenance: Private collection, New Jersey
  • Dimensions: 52x28 inches; 54.25x30.5 inches, frame
  • Medium: Acrylic
  • Notes: *This lot is listed as attributed because it has a partial or missing provenance. Attributions and identifications are based in part on our careful study and are not guaranteed. Unless stated otherwise in the catalog description, no further provenance or additional information is currently available for this lot. Please refer to our Terms and Conditions prior to bidding. Color fidelity of photos presented is not guaranteed. Lack of a condition statement does not imply that a lot is perfect. Please examine photos, read descriptions, and contact the Gallery with any questions prior to bidding.

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September 20, 2017 12:00 PM EDT
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