Untitled
c. 1944/1946
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
watercolor and gouache over graphite on wove paper
Dimensions
overall: 68.6 x 51.5 cm (27 x 20 1/4 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of The Mark Rothko Foundation, Inc.
Accession Number
1986.43.224
Art Historical Context
Mark Rothko's *Untitled* (c. 1944/1946), a captivating watercolor and gouache over graphite on wove paper, offers a glimpse into the artist's early experimentation during a pivotal moment in his career. Measuring 27 x 20 1/4 inches, this drawing from the National Gallery of Art's collection—generously gifted by The Mark Rothko Foundation, Inc.—captures Rothko's transition from figurative works toward the abstract, emotive fields of color that would define his legacy in Abstract Expressionism. Created amid World War II's shadows, the piece reflects Rothko's 1940s exploration of surrealist-insp...
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...