Mark Rothko

Name/Title

Mark Rothko

Entry/Object ID

N9500.R68.W45

Description

Mark Rothko is one of the towering figures of Abstract Expressionism, and of twentieth-century painting as a whole. His paintings, predominantly in a large format and featuring horizontal layers of pigment on a monochrome foundation, occupy a permanent place in our collective pictorial memory as an epitome of heroic Modernism. This beautifully produced oversize monograph presents over 100 of his works in full-color plates. By considering Rothko's central groups of works from all creative periods--among them the Rothko Room in the Phillips Collection and the Harvard Murals at Harvard University--this book documents the artist's struggle to arrive at "a consummated experience between picture and onlooker." Rothko's adamant insistence on controlling the presentation of his works set him apart from the art scene as early as the 1950s. His pictures were to be hung closely together in small rooms, in which soft lighting and imposing scale were to provide an immediate viewing experience. This book attempts to recreate that atmosphere with a large, uninterrupted plate section that brings to life the vibrancy and power of these paintings. In addition to more than 100 color works, Mark Rothko includes essays about specific groups of work, an extensive, year by year, descriptive chronology of his life and work, and an exhaustive bibliography of writings about him from the past five years. It is an essential addition to any collection on twentieth-century art.

Collection

Carol Westfall Collection

Lexicon

Search Terms

artist monographs, carol westfall collection, exhibition catalogs, painters

Legacy Lexicon

Category

Exhibition catalog

Book Details

Author

Jeffrey S. Weiss

Publisher

National Gallery of Art

Date Published

1998

Call No.

N9500.R68.W45

ISBN

894682296, 9780894682292

LCCN

97051532

Notes

Length: 376