Interior
1936
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
oil on hardboard
Dimensions
overall: 60.6 x 46.4 cm (23 7/8 x 18 1/4 in.)
Classification
Painting
Department
CMC
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of The Mark Rothko Foundation, Inc.
Accession Number
1986.43.26
Art Historical Context
Mark Rothko's *Interior* (1936 an oil painting on hardboard measuring 60.6 x 46.4 cm, offers a into the artist's formative years. Created when Rothko was in his early 30s and establishing himself in New York City's vibrant art scene, this compact work captures the intimacy of an enclosed space. The choice of hardboard—a sturdy, affordable support popular among Depression-era artists—allowed for portability and durability, reflecting practical concerns of the time amid economic hardship. Though Rothko would later revolutionize modern art with his monumental color-field abstractions, *Interior*...
About the Artist
Mark Rothko
Mark Rothko (born Marcus Yakovlevich Rothkowitz, September 25, 1903 – February 25, 1970) stands as one of the most influential figures in twentieth-century American art and a central pioneer of Abstract Expressionism. Born into a Jewish family in Dvinsk (now Daugavpils, Latvia), then part of the Russian Empire, Rothko's early life was marked by the fear and persecution faced by Jews in Tsarist Rus...