Isabella Flores
Mark Rothko's paintings underwent a significant evolution over his lifetime, progressing from early figurative representations to the abstract expressionism that he became renowned for. Rothko's early works in the 1920s and 1930s were influenced by Surrealism and Symbolism, incorporating elements from various art movements of the time. During this period, he produced landscapes, nudes, portraits, and city scenes. By the late 1940s, Rothko developed his distinctive 'multiform' style, utilising large blocks of colour to evoke emotional responses. His later works from the 1950s onwards featured large rectangular blocks of colour, floating against muted backgrounds. Despite struggles with depression and alcoholism in his final years, Rothko continued to paint, leaving behind a legacy of nearly 900 paintings that continue to captivate audiences with their emotional depth and powerful use of colour.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Early career influences | Surrealism, Symbolism, and contemporary art movements |
| Early style | Figurative work, landscapes, nudes, portraits, city scenes, and scenes from Greek mythology |
| Transition period | Multiform style with large blocks of color |
| Mature style | Large rectangular blocks of color that seem to float against the canvas background |
| Later works | Darker hues and a more somber tone |
| Use of color | Monochromatic, with a single hue varied through different tones |
| Emotional impact | Communicating deep emotional experiences through color |
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What You'll Learn
Early works: bright colours, figurative representations
Mark Rothko's early works from the 1920s to the 1930s were characterised by bright colours and figurative representations. During this period, he was influenced by Surrealism and Symbolism, reflecting the contemporary art movements of the time. His early paintings included landscapes, nudes, portraits, and city scenes, as well as subway scenes emphasising the isolation of riders.
In the 1930s, Rothko's works reflected his interest in Greek mythology, primitive art, and Christian tragedy. He was influenced by Surrealists such as Miró and André Masson, exploring automatic drawing and creating abstract forms alluding to human and animal life. During this time, he also exhibited his works, including at the Gallery Secession and the Contemporary Arts Gallery in New York.
By the late 1940s, Rothko developed his ''multiform' style, utilising large blocks of colour to evoke emotional responses. This evolution in his work was influenced by personal experiences, including his divorce, leading to a deeper exploration of colour and form. During this period, he also broke away from the American Artists' Congress and co-founded the Federation of Modern Painters and Sculptors.
In the early 1950s, Rothko's works transitioned into what is often referred to as his 'mature style'. This style featured large rectangular blocks of colour that seemed to float against the canvas background. His use of colour fields and simple geometric shapes became a hallmark of his work, with each colour field evoking a unique emotional experience in the viewer.
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Surrealism and Symbolism
Mark Rothko's early career was influenced by Surrealism and Symbolism, with his work in the 1920s and 1930s focusing on figurative art. During this period, he was influenced by the German Expressionists, the surrealist art of Paul Klee, and the paintings of Georges Rouault. He also explored the technique of automatic drawing, creating abstract forms that alluded to human and animal life.
In the 1930s, Rothko's work reflected his interest in Greek mythology, primitive art, and Christian tragedy. He was influenced by the Surrealists Miró, André Masson, and others, and his work during this time has been described as a blend of different styles, reflecting contemporary art movements.
By the late 1940s, Rothko had developed his signature 'multiform' style, characterised by large blocks of colour devoid of any figures or symbols. He had eliminated all elements of surrealism and mythic imagery from his work, and his compositions now featured indeterminate shapes. This shift away from surrealism was influenced by his friendship with abstract artist Clyfford Still, whose abstract landscapes of colour stimulated Rothko's style change.
Rothko's mature work in the 1950s and 1960s featured large rectangular blocks of colour that seemed to float against the canvas background. These later works were characterised by simple geometric shapes and vibrant colours, with a deliberate lack of symbolic reference.
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Multiforms: blocks of colour, emotional responses
Mark Rothko's artistic journey can be divided into several distinct phases, each reflecting a progression in his style and choice of materials. The "Multiforms" period, which took place during the 1940s, was a significant stage in this evolution. During this time, Rothko developed a unique style characterised by large blocks of colour, a departure from his earlier figurative work.
The "Multiforms" style emerged as a result of personal experiences in Rothko's life, including his divorce. This emotional turmoil prompted him to delve deeper into the exploration of colour and form, utilising large, soft-edged rectangles of colour that seemed to float against the canvas. These colour fields evoked emotional responses in viewers, creating a sense of calm, tension, or introspection.
Rothko's mastery of colour fields during this period is evident in his work "61 (Rust and Blue)," which deeply engages viewers in a contemplative experience. His use of monochromatic colours, where a single hue is varied through different tones, played a pivotal role in the overall mood of his pieces. This monochromatic approach enhanced the viewer's personal connection to the artwork, inviting them to interpret the mood and emotional response to colour.
The "Multiforms" period marked a transition towards abstract expressionism, a style that would become synonymous with Rothko's name. By eliminating all elements of surrealism and mythic imagery, Rothko's work evolved into non-objective compositions of indeterminate shapes, reflecting his quest to communicate deeper emotional and spiritual truths through his art. This journey towards abstraction continued throughout his career, with his later works becoming fully abstract and showcasing his distinctive use of colour and form.
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Mature style: rectangular blocks, floating on canvas
Mark Rothko's artistic journey can be divided into several phases, with his work undergoing a significant evolution in style and materials. By the 1950s, Rothko had entered his 'mature style', characterised by large rectangular blocks of colour that appear to float against the canvas. This style marked a shift from his earlier, more figurative work, towards abstract expressionism.
The mature style is exemplified by his 1957 painting, 'Orange and Red on Red'. This work demonstrates Rothko's mastery of colour fields, inviting viewers to engage in a contemplative experience. The floating blocks of colour create a sense of depth and emotion, with the use of contrasting tones and monochromatic hues influencing the mood of the piece.
Rothko's mature style is further defined by his use of soft-edged, luminescent rectangles, often stacked weightlessly on top of one another. This technique gives the illusion of the blocks floating horizontally against the canvas. The artist's intention behind these colour choices and their arrangement was to emphasise emotional communication through simple yet powerful colour relationships.
The mature style of the 1950s and 1960s saw Rothko gain recognition as a significant figure in abstract expressionism and colour field painting. His works from this period have a distinctive aesthetic, with the simple geometric shapes and vibrant colours standing in contrast to his earlier, more representational pieces.
During this mature phase, Rothko also explored the use of monochromatic colour, where a single hue is varied through different tones. This technique allowed for subtle variations that evoked feelings such as calm, tension, or introspection. The monochromatic approach unified the emotional atmosphere of the painting, enhancing the viewer's experience and personal connection to the artwork.
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Final years: darker hues, sombre tone
Mark Rothko's final years were marked by a struggle with depression and alcoholism, which was reflected in his artwork through darker hues and a sombre tone. Despite these personal challenges, he continued to create, leaving behind a profound legacy of nearly 900 paintings that have left a lasting impact on abstract expressionism and colour field painting.
During this period, Rothko primarily worked with acrylic on canvas and paper, limiting his palette to brown, grey, and black. His late-career paintings emphasised simple shapes and monochromatic colours, creating a sense of calm, tension, or introspection in the viewer. This can be seen in his black-on-black paintings, such as 'Black on Black', which invite emotional analysis due to their minimalist nature.
Rothko's mature style, which emerged in the 1950s, is characterised by large rectangular blocks of colour that seem to float against the canvas background. This style evolved from his earlier multiform' period in the 1940s, where he used large blocks of colour to evoke emotional responses. By the 1950s, his works transitioned to what is often described as his 'mature style', with large, soft-edged rectangles of colour stacked weightlessly on top of one another.
In his final years, Rothko received several notable commissions, including murals for the Holyoke Center at Harvard University in 1961 and a Roman Catholic chapel in Houston from 1964 to 1967. Despite his personal struggles, Rothko's art continued to evolve and resonate with viewers, with his later works showcasing a mastery of colour fields and emotional depth.
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Frequently asked questions
Mark Rothko's paintings evolved from representational to abstract styles. His early works were influenced by Surrealism and Symbolism, and he focused on figurative work. Over time, he transitioned to abstract expressionism, developing a distinctive style characterised by large fields of colour that evoke emotion.
In his early works, Rothko used bright colours. As his career progressed, he began to use monochromatic colours, creating subtle variations in tone to evoke feelings of calm, tension, or introspection. His later works emphasised darker hues and a more sombre tone.
Rothko's mature style, which he reached in the 1950s, featured large rectangular blocks of colour that seemed to float against the canvas background. These works often featured two or three soft-edged, luminescent rectangles, stacked weightlessly on top of one another.
Rothko's personal life influenced his artistic style. For example, his divorce in the 1940s led him to explore colour and form more deeply, resulting in his multiform' style, which used large blocks of colour to evoke emotional responses. In his later years, Rothko struggled with depression and alcoholism, which was reflected in his final works' darker hues and sombre tones.
