No. 5
1958
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
oil and acrylic on canvas
Dimensions
overall: 167.6 x 105.2 cm (66 x 41 7/16 in.)
Classification
Painting
Department
CMC
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of The Mark Rothko Foundation, Inc.
Accession Number
1986.43.162
Art Historical Context
Mark Rothko's *No. 5* (1958) exemplifies the artist's profound contribution to Abstract Expressionism, particularly the Color Field movement. This large-scale oil and acrylic on canvas, measuring 167.6 x 105.2 cm, features Rothko's signature style:-edged, floating rectangles of color that hover in ethereal layers. Created during his mature period, it invites viewers into an intimate, meditative space vibrant hues—often deep reds, blacks, and subtle transitions—evoke deep emotional and spiritual responses rather than literal representation. Rothko, a Latvian-born American painter active in pos...
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...