jacob baal-teshuva - mark rothko - pictures as drama

7/24/2019 Jacob Baal-Teshuva - Mark Rothko - Pictures as Drama

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Mark Rothko: Pictures As Drama

Jacob Baal-Teshuva (Taschen, 200!

Pictures As Drama

From Russia To New York Via Portland, Oregon

Marcus Rothkovich ecomes Mark Rothko! M"tholog" And #urrealism

Multi$orms! The %a" To The &lassic Paintings

Rothko's Murals And The Rise O$ Po( Art

The Rothko &ha(el And The Tate )aller" Room

Rothko's Death And *egac"

&hronolog"

#elected i+liogra(h"

"


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Pictures As Drama

Mark Rothko ("#0-"#$0! belon%s to the %eneration o& American artists 'ho

comletel) revolutioni*e+ the essence an+ +esi%n o& abstract aintin% is st)listic

evolution, &rom a &i%urative visual reertoire to an abstract st)le roote+ in the active

relationshi o& the observer to the aintin%, embo+ie+ the ra+ical vision o& a

renaissance in aintin% Rothko characteri*e+ this relationshi as .a consummate+

e/erience bet'een icture an+ onlooker othin% shoul+ stan+ bet'een m) aintin%

an+ the vie'er1 is color &ormations in+ee+ +ra' the observer into a sace &ille+

'ith an inner li%ht Rothko al'a)s resiste+ attemts to interret his aintin%s e 'as

mainl) concerne+ 'ith the vie'ers e/erience, the mer%in% o& 'ork an+ reciient

be)on+ verbal comrehension .o ossible set o& notes can e/lain our aintin%s,1

he once sai+ .Their e/lanation must come out o& a consummate+ e/erience

bet'een icture an+ onlooker The areciation o& art is a true marria%e o& min+s An+

in art as in marria%e, lack o& consummation is %roun+s &or annulment1

Rothko 'as an intellectual, a thinker, a hi%hl) e+ucate+ man e love+ music an+

literature an+ 'as involve+ in hilosoh), eseciall) in the 'orks o& 3rie+rich

iet*sche an+ o& ancient 4reek hilosoh) an+ m)tholo%) is &rien+s sa) he 'as a

+i&&icult, restless an+ irritable man Desite a short temer, he 'as also kno'n to be

lovin% an+ a&&ectionate Rothko 'as a rota%onist 'ithin the movement o& Americanainters 'ho became kno'n as the Abstract 5/ressionists 3irst &ormin% in e'

6ork 7it) +urin% the )ears bet'een the 'orl+ 'ars, this %rou 'as also calle+ the

e' 6ork 8chool 9n all the histor) o& art, the) became the &irst American artists to

receive international reco%nition as a si%ni&icant movement Man) amon% them,

inclu+in% Rothko, 'ent +o'n as the stu&& o& le%en+

Mo+ernist art since the late "#th centur) ha+ been +ominate+ b) 5uroean currents,

'ith its +eveloment centere+ mainl) in the vibrant cit) o& Paris 9n the inter'ar an+

ost'ar +eca+es, ho'ever, American aintin% %ra+uall) took over the lea+in% role

The e' 6ork 8chool achieve+ its &ull national an+ &inall) international breakthrou%h'ith a "#2 sho' at the Museum o& Mo+ern Art, kno'n as .3i&teen Americans1 9n

the late "#0s, Abstract 5/ressionist sho's 'ent on travelin% tours o& the ma;or

5uroean museums an+ met 'ith %reat interest 9t 'as a triumhal time &or a ne'

movement that ha+ &inall) achieve+ accetance amon% critics an+ collectors aroun+

the 'orl+ Abstract 5/ressionism 'as thou%ht to be ne', &resh, an+ entirel)

unrece+ente+

The term Abstract 5/ressionism re&ers more to a rocess than a st)le The oint is to

e/ress &eelin% throu%h the act o& aintin% itsel&, the rocess, 'ithout &i/atin% on the

actual ro+uct o& that act, the art'ork Amon% the currents lea+in% e/onents 'ere

2


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Jackson Pollock,


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+ealers 'ho romote+ the ne' abstract art 'ere also Bett) Parsons, 8i+ne) Janis an+

Ceo 7astelli

Mark Rothkos E-)ear aintin% career can be +ivi+e+ into &our erio+s: the Realist

)ears &rom "#2E to "#E0, the 8urrealist )ears "#E0F"#E, the Transitional )ears &rom

"#E to "#E#, an+ the 7lassical )ears &rom"#E# to "#$0 Durin% the &irs t t'o sta%es,

Rothko ainte+ the lan+scaes, interiors, cit) scenes, still-li&es an+ the e' 6ork

sub'a) aintin%s that 'ere so in&luential on his later +eveloment is 'ork +urin%


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3rom Russia To e' 6ork ia Portlan+, ?re%on

Marcus Rothkovich 'as born on 8etember 2, "#0, in Dvinsk, Russia, as the

)oun%est o& &our chil+ren is arents, Jacob Rothkovich (born in "G#! an+ Anna

4ol+in Rothkovich (born in "G$0!, marrie+ in "G# Marcuss siblin%s 'ere much

ol+er, his sister 8onia surassin% him b) "E )ears, his brothers Moise b) eleven an+

Albert b) ei%ht )ears Dvinsk is to+a) art o& Catvia, an+ in "#20 'as rename+

Dau%avils (meanin% .3ort on the Dau%a1! The name recalls the birth o& the to'n as

a me+ieval &ortress on the banks o& the Dau%a River, locate+ in the Polish-Cithuanian

kin%+om until its anne/ation in "$22 b) Russia un+er 7*ar Peter the 4reat

Dvinsk numbere+ #0,000 resi+ents at the time o& Rothkos birth, hal& o& them Je'ish8ince ;e's 'ere barre+ &rom o'nin% lan+, the) ten+e+ to be merchants Rothkos

&ather 'as a harmacist The bus) cit) 'as locate+ at a rail'a) ;unction an+ 'as thus

easil) reache+ b) train &rom both 8t Petersbur% an+ Ri%a The rail'a)s brou%ht

in+ustriali*ation an+ mobilit) an+ romote+ tra+e As a hi%hl) +eveloe+ in+ustrial

cit), Dvinsk in "#"2 'as home to more than "00 &actories 'ith ,ooo emlo)ees,

althou%h the 'a%es at the lar%e rail'a) an+ te/tile lants 'ere rather mea%er

Rothkos &ather ha+ a mo+est but stea+) income as a harmacist As a Russian-

Je'ish intellectual, he re&erre+ secular e+ucation &or his chil+ren an+ olitical over

reli%ious involvement But the oliticall) active an+ liberal Jacob Rothkovich turne+to ?rtho+o/ Ju+aism a&ter the brutal Russian o%rom a%ainst the Je's, 'hich

&ollo'e+ on the heels o& the &aile+ Russian Revolution o& "#0 Jacob Rothkovichs

return to the &ol+ at the to'n s)na%o%ue came soon a&ter Marcuss birth Thou%h the)

live+ in constant &ear, the Je's o& Dvinsk 'ere sare+ the o%roms an+ horrors visite+

uon the Je's o& =ishinev, Bial)stok an+ man) other to'ns in 7*arist Russia Dvinsk

'itnesse+ onl) occasional outbreaks, even as thousan+s o& Je's 'ere kille+

else'here, bran+e+ as susecte+ s)mathi*ers o& the 8ocial Democratic an+ other

revolutionar) arties

Rothko 'as ;ust t'o )ears ol+ in "#0 is hometo'n 'as un+er the blanketsurveillance o& the 7*arist secret olice Je's 'ere the usual victims o& rerisals

'henever the 7ossacks, the lo)al &ollo'ers o& the 7*arist state, came into the to'n to

break revolutionar) urisin%s ?ther Je'ish communities in the environs o& Dvinsk

also live+ in constant terror o& o%roms an+ massacres The air 'as &ille+ 'ith slo%ans

like .=ill the Je's to 8ave Russia1 This 'as the atmoshere in 'hich Rothko %re'

u Cater, he claime+ to recall +u%-u its in the &orests aroun+ Dvinsk, 'here the

7ossacks burie+ Je'ish victims the) ha+ ki+nae+ an+ mur+ere+ These ima%es

al'a)s la%ue+ him mentall), an+ he sa)s the) e/ercise+ a certain in&luence on his

aintin% 8ome art critics have %one so &ar as to sa) this e/lains his re&erence &orrectan%ular &orms in the late 'orks, as a &ormal echo o& the %rave, but 'e ma) ri%htl)


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+oubt that Rothko coul+ not have ossibl) 'itnesse+ an) mass e/ecutions, an+ there

'ere no mass %raves in Dvinsk at this time 3ar more likel) is that the chil+ hear+

a+ults talkin% about the o%roms an+ massacres else'here, an+ in his memor) en+e+

u mi/in% u these stories 'ith his o'n memories o& the nearb) 'oo+s

As an e+ucate+ &amil) an+ active Hionists, the Rothkoviches soke ebre' in

a++ition to Russian an+ 6i++ish, accor+in% to Marks ol+er brother Moise, later

Maurice nite+ 8tates The &athers

i+ealism an+ %enerosit) 'ere causin% losses &or the harmac) e also &eare+ that his

sons 'oul+ be +ra&te+ into the 7*arist arm) T'o o& Jacob Rothkovichs brothers ha+

move+ to Portlan+, ?re%on, man) )ears be&ore, 'here the) ha+ starte+ ver)

success&ul clothin% &irms Jacobs lan 'as to %o to the >nite+ 8tates alone an+ have

his &amil) &ollo' him once he ha+ establishe+ himsel& e le&t Russia, 'ent throu%h

5llis 9slan+, an+ &rom there move+ strai%ht to Portlan+ At the time, the to'n on the

con&luence o& the


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sol+ ne'saers, &or ;ust a &e' cents a +a) The &amil) mana%e+ to hol+ themselves

above 'ater 8onia later &oun+ a ;ob as a +ental assistant an+ Moise oene+ a

harmac), 'here Albert also 'orke+ &or a time be&ore oenin% u his o'n +ru% store

Rothkos mother =ate 'as then able to take boar+ers

Marcus 'as lace+ in the &irst %ra+e o& an American elementar) school in 8etember

"#", 'here he an+ other immi%rant chil+ren 'ere e/ecte+ to learn the lan%ua%e b)

listenin% e 'as skie+ to the thir+ %ra+e in the &all o& the ne/t )ear, an+ 'as lace+

in the &i&th %ra+e that srin% 9n the shortest time he learne+ 5n%lish an+ ma+e &rien+s

in the nei%hborhoo+ Marcus comlete+ the last &our classes, throu%h ninth %ra+e, in

;ust three a++itional )ears A&ter another three-an+-a-hal& )ears, in June "#2", at the

a%e o& "$, Marcus %ra+uate+ 'ith e/cellent %ra+es &rom Cincoln i%h 8chool

There 'ere man) Je'ish immi%rants in Portlan+, an+ the) 'ere concentrate+ in one

nei%hborhoo+ At their communit) center, the) soke 6i++ish or Russian A&ter the

&amil) ha+ achieve+ a +e%ree o& economic securit), the) be%an to ;oin local chaters

o& ra+ical movements The sensitive an+ rather nervous Marcus 'as similarl)

incline+, an+ increasin%l) articiate+ in +iscussions on current a&&airs e ar%ue+

@uite skill&ull) &or the ri%ht o& 'orkers to strike, or &or %eneral access to

contracetion is entire &amil) 'as in &avor o& the Russian Revolution, as Rothko

later sai+ But he 'as not a social rebel is )outh&ul anarchism seems to have been

more a romantic ose than a olitical i+eolo%) er


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sketches o& a nake+ mo+el .9 kne' then that this 'oul+ be m) li&e,1 he sai+ 5i%ht

months a&ter +roin% out o& school, in Januar) "#2E, he enrolle+ in the Art 8tu+ents

Cea%ue himsel& an+ took courses in anatom) 'ith 4eor%e Bri+%eman, an+ in +ra'in%

T'o months later, he returne+ to Portlan+ to visit his &amil) There he ;oine+ a theater

%rou +irecte+ b) Josehine Dillon, 7lark 4ables &irst 'i&e is ambitions as an actorrove+ to be a short interlu+e, thou%h he later love+ to claim that he 'as a better actor

than the oll)'oo+ star 4able But Rothkos lum &orm an+ avera%e hei%ht o& "01

ma+e him look a'k'ar+ on sta%e

Restless as he 'as, he soon 'ent back to e' 6ork an+ enrolle+ in the e' 8chool o&

Desi%n, a small commercial %rahics institute, 'here he 'as tau%ht b) Arshile 4ork)

e took &urther courses at the Art 8tu+ents Cea%ue in ?ctober "#2 an+ took lessons

in +ra'in% &rom nature 8oon therea&ter, Rothko +eci+e+ to enroll in the class o& Ma/


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until"#2, &or more than 20 )ears 9n a seech +elivere+ in the mi+-"#0s at the

school, he talke+ about the relationshi .bet'een the ainter 'ho aints 'ell an+ the

artist 'hose 'orks breathe li&e an+ ima%ination1 e also soke o& .the +i&&erence

bet'een sheer skill an+ skill that is linke+ to sirit, e/ressiveness an+ ersonalit)

the result is a constant creative activit) in 'hich the chil+ creates an entire chil+-likecosmolo%), 'hich e/resses the in&initel) varie+ an+ e/citin% 'orl+ o& a chil+s

&ancies an+ e/erience1 Rothko believe+ that ones means o& artistic e/ression is

unrelate+ to manual abilit) or ainterl) techni@ue, that it is +ra'n &rom an inborn

&eelin% &or &orm the i+eal lies in the sontaneit), simlicit) an+ +irectness o& chil+ren

Throu%h his &rien+ the violinist Couis =au&man, Marcus in "#2 became ac@uainte+

'ith ainter Milton Aver), "G )ears his senior The encounter 'ith Aver), kno'n in

the >nite+ 8tates as .the American Matisse,1 'as o& %reat si%ni&icance Aver)s

+evotion to his cra&t an+ balance+ an+ calm nature imresse+ the insecure an+ ever-

searchin% Marcus Milton an+ his 'i&e, 8all), 'oke u each mornin% at si/ an+

'orke+ until si/ in the evenin% .Aver) 'as the least imortunate an+ least

e/a%%erate+ erson that an)one coul+ ima%ine,1 sai+ Couis =au&man Rothko never

&or%ot the imortant hours he sent in Aver)s stu+io .7ountless ictures al'a)s

hun% on the 'alls, al'a)s ne' ones, ictures &ull o& oetr) an+ li%ht,1 he +escribe+

the stu+io in retrosect is visits to Aver) became more &re@uent an+ the in&luence on

his 'ork 'as evi+ent 9n the earl) "#0s, Rothko create+ a series o& a@uarelles 'ith

beach scenes, in 'hich the san+) areas take u the most sace (ill 2! 8ea an+ sk)

are in+icate+ b) %reen an+ %ra) stries The &i%ures on the beach are surroun+e+ b)

areas o& aer le&t 'hite, an+ there&ore seem to &loat above the san+ Aver)s

continuin% in&luence is obvious even in Rothkos mature 'orks, 'ith their simli&ie+

&orms, e/ressive alication an+ thin la)erin% o& color (ill 2E!

At some oint aroun+ the )ear "#2#, Rothko became &rien+s 'ith an artist his o'n

a%e, A+olh 4ottlieb, 'ho belon%e+ to the cli@ue aroun+ Aver) to%ether 'ith Barnett

e'man, John 4raham an+ Joseh 8olman 4ottlieb an+ Rothko &irst met at the small

Art 7enter 4aller) an+ the ?ortunit) 4aller) as a result o& the &irst %rou

e/hibition The &rien+shi bet'een Rothko, 4ottlieb an+ Milton Aver) became

increasin%l) ti%ht The) sent several summers to%ether at Cake 4eor%e an+ in

4loucester, Massachusetts, 'here the) ainte+ +urin% the +a) an+ sent the evenin%s

in +iscussion 9n e' 6ork, Rothko an+ 4ottlieb visite+ the Aver)s on an almost +ail)

basis The Aver)s %ave a 'eekl) course in nu+e +ra'in% an+ hel+ literar) rea+in%s at

their aartment

9n the summer o& "#2, on a visit to Cake 4eor%e, Marcus met 5+ith 8achar, a )oun%,

attractive ;e'elr) +esi%ner 'hom he marrie+ on ovember "2 o& the same )ear The

relationshi be%an as a romantic a&&air 'ith mutual artistic ambitions A&ter their

return the) ran into &inancial roblems +ue to their bohemian li&est)le in e' 6ork,

but their a&&ection remaine+ stron% as ever

#


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Rothko ha+ his &irst one-man sho' at the Portlan+ Museum, in the summer o& "#

e/t to his o'n 'orks, he also sho'e+ ictures b) chil+ren &rom his classes at the

7enter Aca+em) in Brookl)n ?n +isla) 'ere his latest a@uarelles an+ +ra'in%s,

insire+ b) 7e*anne an+ ;ohn Martin Truth be tol+, ho'ever, the Rothkovich &amil),

'ho e/erience+ serious mone) roblems +urin% the Deression, coul+ notcomrehen+ 'h) their Marcus ha+ chosen to be an artist The) accuse+ him o& &ailin%

to suort his mother an+ never 'ritin% to her

A &e' months a&ter his summer in Portlan+, Rothko ha+ his &irst bi% e' 6ork

e/hibition, at the 7ontemorar) Arts 4aller) 3or the &irst time he sho'e+ oil

aintin%s, " in all, mostl) ortraits, in a++ition to a@uarelles an+ +ra'in%s

5seciall) sin%le+ out &or raise b) the critics 'ere Rothkos a@uarelle lan+scaes,

'ith their seemin%l) casual st)le an+ re+ilection &or lar%e &iel+s o& color At the

time, Rothkos a@uarelle techni@ue 'as +e&initel) ahea+ o& his skills as an oil ainter,

but his love o& lar%e colore+ sur&aces 'as alrea+) aarent e &re@uentl) ainte+

&emale nu+es is 'omen are corulent, ren+ere+ in thick, heav), movin% lines,

'ithout suer&luous +etail is ictures &rom this erio+ are +e&ine+ b) e/ressionist

+istortions 'ith un+ertones o& melo+rama

Rothko constantl) soke out &or artistic &ree+om, albeit 'ithout becomin% +irectl)

active himsel& ?ne case 'here he +i+ become involve+, ho'ever, 'as the &ame+

"#E inci+ent bet'een the all-o'er&ul John D Rocke&eller an+ the socialist ainter,

Die%o Rivera This be%an 'hen Rivera 'as hire+ to aint a %ar%antuan mural in the

lobb) o& the main buil+in% o& Rocke&eller 7enter, the ne'l) comlete+ sho'case o&

the oil barons i+eals 8hortl) be&ore Rivera comlete+ his 'ork, Rocke&eller +roe+

in an+ sa' that the mural ha+ a +e&iantl) anti-caitalist messa%e an+ 'as centere+ on

a heroic +eiction o& la+imir 9l)ich Cenin e or+ere+ the removal o& the mural,

resultin% in its +estruction A&ter this inci+ent, a %rou o& 200 e' 6ork artists

%athere+ to rotest a%ainst Rocke&eller, an+ Mark Rothko marche+ 'ith them

e 'as also a &oun+in% member o& the Artists >nion 9n late "#, artists starte+

4aller) 8ecession, +evote+ to the ne'est artistic ten+encies, an+ an avant%ar+e %rou

calle+ The Ten, 'hich numbere+ no more than nine ermanent members (so that the

tenth lace coul+ var)! Amon% The Ten 'ere Ben-Hion, A+olh 4ottlieb, Couisarris, 6ankel =u&el+, Couis 8chanker, Joseh 8olman, ahum 7ha*ba*ov, 9l)a

Bolotovsk) an+ Marcus Rothkovich The) hel+ meetin%s once a month, rotatin%

amon% members stu+ios The Ten re&use+ to link themselves to an) %aller), but

lanne+ instea+ to create a municial art %aller) that 'oul+ allo' sel&-or%ani*e+

%rou e/hibitions The) succee+e+, an+ took art in the "# oenin% o& the

Municial Art 4aller) Painter A+olh 4ottlieb +escribe+ the %rou as &ollo's: .


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realism1 3or all the +i&&erences amon% the members, 'ho inclu+e+ 5/ressionists

alon%si+e e/onents o& %eometric abstraction, The Ten acte+ as an alliance a%ainst the

e/a%%erate+ romotion o& re%ionalist art b) the in&luential


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'hims, 'ithout bein% limite+ b) aca+emic rules Rothko believe+ that .the &act that

one usuall) be%ins 'ith +ra'in% is alrea+) aca+emic


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Marcus Rothkovich Becomes Mark Rothko: M)tholo%) An+

8urrealism

Marcus an+ his 'i&e 5+ith searate+ temoraril) in the summer o& "#$ Their

recarious &inancial situation le+ to &re@uent ar%uments 5+ith oene+ a silver ;e'elr)

store an+ sol+ her ieces at cra&ts &airs This hele+ them escae the &inancial

+i&&iculties that ha+ ut such stress on their marria%e Marcus nevertheless believe+

5+ith 'as too materialist in her attitu+es The) reconcile+ that &all, but the tensions

remaine+

Rothko became a >nite+ 8tates citi*en on 3ebruar) 2", "#G This 'as "E )ears a&ter

initiatin% an alication &or citi*enshi in "#2E Cacka+aisical in its ursuit, he onl)&inall) &ormali*e+ the etition in "# Cike man) Je's, he 'as 'orrie+ about the rise

o& the a*is in 4erman) an+ the ossibilit) o& a revival o& anti-8emitism in America,

an+ >8 citi*enshi came to si%ni&) securit) This 'as a time 'hen man) American

Je's 'ere mo+i&)in% their names to soun+ less Je'ish 9n Januar) "#E0, Marcus

Rothkovich +eci+e+ to become Mark Rothko More than 20 )ears earlier, Rothkos

brothers ha+ chan%e+ their names to Roth But .Rothko1 ha+ the a+vanta%e that it +i+

not soun+ American, Russian, Je'ish, or like an)thin% else in articular, an+ 'as

there&ore a bit uncann), +eman+in% o& resect The name chan%e 'as onl) le%ali*e+ in

"##, ho'ever, 'hen he &irst ac@uire+ a assort

Rothko le&t the American Artists 7on%ress in Aril"#E0, alon% 'ith Milton Aver),

9l)a Bolotovsk), 4ottlieb, arris an+ several others The) all +elore+ the Russian

invasion o& 3inlan+ in "## an+ the itler-8talin Pact, events that cause+ a break

bet'een the ra+ical an+ liberal con%ress members an+, &inall), the +issolution o& the

bo+) The liberals, amon% them Rothko an+ his &rien+s, ;oine+ 'ith others that June to

&oun+ the 3e+eration o& Mo+ern Painters an+ 8cultors, 'hich 'as +evote+ to

.&i%htin% &or the 'el&are o& &ree an+ ro%ressive artists in America1 Althou%h the 'ar

'as alrea+) uturnin% the 'hole 'orl+ an+ olitical @uestions +ominate+ ori%inal

+iscussions, the %rou 'as more concerne+ 'ith the &i%ht &or artistic in+een+ence

an+ &ree e/ression, 'hich 'ere seen as e@uivalent to &ree+om an+ +emocrac) Art

'as to be ket &ree o& nationalist, olitical, economic or historical issues 9n "#E" the

&e+eration hel+ annual e/hibitions, in 'hich Rothko took art

Durin% the 'orst )ears o& the 'ar, Rothko un+er'ent a ra+ical shi&t in his st)le,

althou%h the e/act timeoint is unclear The ne' 'orks arose +urin% his close

artnershi 'ith A+olh 4ottlieb, 'ith 'hom he ha+ en+less +iscussions on the crisis

o& 'hat sub;ect to a+ot &or art Both artists 'ere convince+ that American aintin%

ha+ reache+ a +ea+ en+, an+ the) 'on+ere+ about the 'a)s that Rothko mi%ht %obe)on+ his sub'a) scenes 'ith their Pittura Meta&isica overtones Barnett e'man

"


14/43

o&ten took art in these +iscussions an+ later +escribe+ the +ilemma as &ollo's: .


15/43

b) 5+'ar+ Al+en Je'ell, 'ho 'a/e+ ironic on ho' the 'orks b) Rothko an+ 4ottlieb

comletel) be&u++le+ him 9n a June &ollo'-u, Je'ell a++e+ that one o& the artists

ha+ o&&ere+ to hel him 'ith his .cluelessness1 This rovoke+ Rothko an+ 4ottlieb to

&ire o&& a olemic letter to the Times, in 'hich the) chamione+ Mo+ernist art Je'ell

ublishe+ their re;oin+er (.The Realm o& Art: A e' Plat&orm an+ 4lobalism Pos9nto ie'1! on June ", intersersin% it 'ith his o'n ironic an+ unreentant %loss

The artists te/t 'as .as obscure as the aintin%s themselves,1 Je'ell 'rote Rothko

an+ 4ottlieb 'ere similarl) smu% in +ealin% 'ith 'hat the) took as Je'ells

i%norance: .To the artist, the 'orkin%s o& the critical min+ is one o& li&es m)steries

That is 'h), 'e suose, the artists comlaint that he is misun+erstoo+, eseciall) b)

the critic, has become a nois) commonlace

.9t is there&ore an event 'hen the 'orm turns, an+ the critic o& the Times @uietl) )et

ublicl) con&esses his be&u++lement, that he is nonlusse+ be&ore our ictures at

the 3e+eration sho'


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&eel that our ictures +emonstrate our aesthetic belie&, some o& 'hich 'e there&ore

list:

" To us art is an a+venture into an unkno'n 'orl+, 'hich can be e/lore+

onl) b) those 'illin% to take the risk

2 This 'orl+ o& the ima%ination is &anc)-&ree an+ violentl) oose+ to

common sense

L9t is our &unction as artists to make the secter see the 'orl+ our 'a)-

not his 'a)

E


17/43

elementar) nee+ an+ universal lan%ua%e e coul+ sen+ hours l)in% on the couch,

listenin% to music The intellectual rovenance o& the i+ea that aintin% shoul+ be

vie'e+ in the same 'a) as music ma) be trace+ back to 3rie+rich iet*sche Rothko

&elt an a&&init) to the 4erman hilosoher, 'ho &oun+ similar stimulation in listenin%

to music

iet*sche believe+ that music is the true lan%ua%e o& emotion 9n The irth o$

Traged", the hilosoher 'rites that tra%e+) is the s)nthesis o& the Dion)sian an+ the

Aollonian oles Dion)sus is the %o+ o& .the ine+ucable Art o& music Aollo o& .the

Art o& the scultor1 To iet*sche, tra%e+) articulates the con&lict bet'een the ecstatic

rimeval Dion)sian e/erience o& ancient cults, somethin% above the in+ivi+ual an+

the later visual +eiction o& this state throu%h the Aollonian 'ill to &orm Tra%ic art

'ith its link bet'een melanchol) an+ merriment, creates 'hat iet*sche calle+

.metahorical consolation1 This )earnin% &or a metah)sical 'orl+ an+ %lori&ication

o& the tra%ic m)th, like iet*sches reverence &or Aesch)lus, all contribute+ to

Rothkos later i+ea o& art as +rama

To %ive to aintin% the emotion o& music in iet*sches sense, Rothko took the visual

+issolution o& the human &orm, 'hich b) the "#E0s ha+ been comlete+, to &urther

levels o& abstraction Publishin% in The Tiger-s "e in ?ctober "#E#, Rothko +escribe+

the rocess as &ollo's: .The ro%ression o& a ainters 'ork, as it travels in time &rom

oint to oint, 'ill be to'ar+ clarit)1 is search &or insiration took him throu%h the

museums o& e' 6ork, 'here he 'as thrille+ 'ith Mir, 'ith 7orot at the

Metroolitan Museum, 'ith Matisses The Red Room at the M?MA e stu+ie+ it

ever) +a) &or months, an+ later believe+ it 'as the source o& all o& his o'n abstract

ictures


18/43

Paris 4u%%enheims artistic consultant, o'ar+ Put*el, convince+ her to sho'

Rothko in her Art o& This 7entur) %aller), 'hich she ha+ oene+ in "#E2, +urin% the

lo' oint o& the 'ar This is 'here Rothko met Ma/ 5rnst Photo%raher Aaron

8iskin+ in "#EE intro+uce+ Rothko to Mar) Alice (Mell! Beistle, 'ho 'as 2 at the

time an+ 'orkin% as an illustrator &or chil+rens books at the Mc3a++en ublishin%house The t'o &ell in love an+ 'ere marrie+ on March ", "#E 7ontemoraries o&

Rothkos later sai+ his &irst marria%e 'as al'a)s +oome+, because he as a romantic

an+ 5+ith as a ver) ra%matic 'oman 'ere o& such +i&&erent temeraments Mell 'as

)oun%, rett) an+ 'arm-hearte+, an+ a+mire+ Rothko as an artist in a 'a) that 5+ith

never +i+

The &ollo'in% )ear, "#E, 'as a ver) romisin% one &or Mark Rothko 9n Januar),

Pe%%) 4u%%enheim tol+ him she 'ante+ to ut on his &irst one-man e/hibition at her

%aller) e sol+ onl) a &e' aintin%s, &or rices ran%in% bet'een "0 an+ $0I The

catalo% te/t, 'ritten this time 'ithout a b)line b) o'ar+ Put*el, rea+ as &ollo's:

.Rothkos st)le has a latent archaic @ualit) Rothkos s)mbols, &ra%ments o& m)th,

are hel+ to%ether b) a &ree, almost automatic calli%rah) that %ives a eculiar unit) to

his aintin%s- a unit) in 'hich the in+ivi+ual s)mbol ac@uires its meanin%, not in

isolation, but rather in its melo+ic a+;ustment to the elements in the icture 9t is this

&eelin% o& internal &usion, o& the historical conscious an+ subconscious caable o&

e/an+in% &ar be)on+ the limits o& the icture sace, that %ives Rothkos 'ork its

&orce an+ essential character But this is not to sa) that the ima%es create+ b) Rothko

are the thin evocations o& the seculative intellect the) are rather the concrete, the

tactual e/ression o& the intuitions o& an artist, to 'hom the subconscious reresents

not the &arther, but the nearer shore o& art1

But his %ran+ hoes 'ere +ashe+ 'hen the ress once a%ain +elivere+ a +isaointin%

ver+ict The ne'saers entirel) i%nore+ the event, 'hile the art ma%a*ines ublishe+

onl) brie& revie's Rothko thereuon 'rote the &ollo'in%:

.9 insist uon the e@ual e/istence o& the 'orl+ en%en+ere+ in the min+ an+ the 'orl+

en%en+ere+ b) 4o+ outsi+e o& it 9& 9 have &altere+ in the use o& &amiliar ob;ects, it is

because 9 re&use to mutilate their aearance &or the sake o& an action 'hich the) are

too ol+ to serve or &or 'hich erhas the) ha+ never been inten+e+ 9 @uarrel 'ithsurrealists an+ abstract art onl) as one @uarrels 'ith his &ather an+ mother

reco%ni*in% the inevitabilit) an+ &unction o& m) roots, but insistent uon m) +issent

9, bein% both the), an+ an inte%ral comletel) in+een+ent o& them1

e ha+ broken hilosohicall) 'ith 8urrealism in "#E, &eelin% that it no lon%er live+

u to his o'n humanist i+eals an+ 'as stuck too &ar in its emhasis on the

unconscious an+ the ob;ects o& ever)+a) li&e 9n this re%ar+, he 'rote:

.9 love both the ob;ect an+ the +ream &ar too much to have them e&&ervesce+ into the

insubstantialit) o& memor) an+ hallucination The abstract artist has %iven materiale/istence to man) unseen 'orl+s an+ temi But 9 reu+iate his +enial o& the anec+ote

"G


19/43

;ust as 9 reu+iate the +enial o& the material e/istence o& the 'hole o& realit) 3or art to

me is an anec+ote o& the sirit, an+ the onl) means o& makin% concrete the urose o&

its varie+ @uickness an+ stillness1


20/43

Rothko 'as invite+ to 7ali&ornia &or another teachin% semester in "#E$, at the 8chool

o& 3ine Arts in 8an 3rancisco The stu+ents came to love him ri%ht a'a), seein% him

as a true master o& instruction e &oun+ the atmoshere ver) stimulatin%, an+ this

'as to their bene&it That summer, 8till an+ Rothko came u 'ith the i+ea o& &oun+in%

their o'n, &ree school o& art The) initiate+ the ro;ect the &ollo'in% )ear in e'6ork, 'ith Davi+ are, Robert Mother'ell an+ nite+ 8tates Mother'ell at this time intro+uce+ Rothko to

Bernar+ ! Reis, a ta/ attorne) 'ho seciali*e+ in e/ecutin% an+ mana%in% artists

'ills, le%acies, &oun+ations an+ other ta/-relate+ business is clients inclu+e+

A+olh 4ottlieb, 3ran* =line, Robert Mother'ell,


21/43

her the e/clusive ri%hts to market his ictures o', at the a%e o& EE, Rothko &inall)

ha+ his o'n %aller), in 'hich he coul+ re%ularl) ut on sho's until"#" This 'as

most 'elcome, as his cumulative %ross income &or "#E$ a++e+ u to ",# +ollars,

an+ that inclu+e+ his salaries as a teacher


22/43

Multi&orms: The


23/43

3rom "#E# until"#, Rothko ainte+ almost e/clusivel) in oils, usin% mostl) vertical

&ormats, in si*es that at times e/cee+e+ 00 cm in hei%ht is 'ish 'as to use the

roortions o& the aintin% to create a &eelin% that the vie'er 'as actuall) insi+e the

icture: .9 aint ver) lar%e ictures 9 reali*e that historicall) the &unction o& aintin%

lar%e ictures is aintin% somethin% ver) %ran+iose an+ omous The reason 9 aintthem, ho'ever- 9 think it alies to other ainters 9 kno'- is recisel) because 9 'ant

to be ver) intimate an+ human To aint a small icture is to lace )oursel& outsi+e

)our e/erience, to look uon an e/erience as a stereoticon vie' or 'ith a re+ucin%

%lass o'ever )ou aint the lar%er icture, )ou are in it 9t isnt somethin% )ou

comman+1

Rothko thou%ht that the i+eal +istance &or observin% his aintin%s 'as E centimeters

9n this 'a), the vie'er 'oul+ &eel himsel& +ra'n into the &iel+s o& color, e/eriencin%

their inner movement an+ absence o& clear bor+ers, an+ &eel an a'e &or that 'hich

coul+ not be un+erstoo+, to%ether 'ith the &ree+om to overste the ver) limits o&

human e/istence

Althou%h Rothko use+ the 'hole o& the color sectrum, it shoul+ be note+ that in each

o& his hases he ten+e+ to a articular hue Be&ore the mi+-"#0s he sel+om use+ +ark

blues or %reens, re&errin% bri%ht, ra+iatin% re+s an+ )ello's, 'hich aeare+

sensuous or even ecstatic Rothko usuall) mi/e+ his aints himsel& ?n the untreate+,

unrime+ canvasses, Rothko, much like a +esi%ner o& theater sets, brushe+ a thin la)er

o& bin+er into 'hich color i%ments ha+ been mi/e+, subse@uentl) &i/in% this

&oun+ation 'ith oils, 'hich he allo'e+ to srea+ aroun+ the un&rame+ e+%es o& the

aintin%s ?ver this .three-+imensional1 rimin%, Rothko alie+ overlain% color

mi/tures, each so stron%l) thinne+ that their i%mentation barel) clun% to the sur&ace

o& the icture This roce+ure %ave his aintin%s both transarenc) an+ luminance

The in+ivi+ual la)ers o& color 'ere alie+ 'ith ver) li%ht an+ &ast brush strokes he

ima%ine+ that the colors 'ere someho' .blo'n1 onto the canvas The nearl)

s)mmetrical un+erl)in% structures that Rothko +eveloe+ in his classic aintin%s

o&&ere+ the ossibilit) o& man)-si+e+ color variations an+ an intensi&ication o&

ainterl) e/ression, similar to the use o& sonatas in music The +ramatic con&lict in

Rothkos ictures, ho'ever, 'as create+ throu%h the tension o& contrastin% colors,

'hich stren%thene+ each other b) their e&&ect as 'ell as b) the tension o& containment

an+ erution, o& &i/ation an+ &lotation, 'hich Rothko +escribe+ as tra%ic

5arl) in "#0, Rothko travele+ 'ith his 'i&e Mell to 5uroe, the &irst such tri since

the &amil) ha+ emi%rate+ &rom Russia


24/43

Marco at 3lorence nite+ 8tates as 'ell as in Tok)o, Berlin, Amster+am, an+ 8ao Paulo 9n "#2 he 'as

invite+ to articiate in .3i&teen Americans1 an e/hibition at the Museum o& Mo+ern

Art curate+ b) Doroth) Miller This sho' si%nale+ the museums accetance o&

abstract art, as +eveloe+ b) Rothko an+ his collea%ues 8till, Pollock, an+ Ba*iotes, as

the lea+in% tren+ in American aintin% in the mi++le o& the centur) Rothko insiste+

on han%in% an+ arran%in% the li%htin% &or his aintin%s himsel&, %ivin% rise to tensions

'ith the curator, but the e/hibition 'as ver) 'ell receive+ b) the critics A lan to

sen+ the e/hibition on a 5uroean tour 'as cancele+ 'hen Rothko raise+ ob;ections

to the i+ea o& sho'in% his 'ork at other locations

This e/hibition cause+ +is%runtlement bet'een Rothko an+ Barnett e'man

e'man su%%estin% that Rothko ha+ attemte+ to revent e'man &rom

articiatin% ?ri%inall) boun+ b) their 'ill to assert themselves, 'ith their %ro'th insuccess an+ reco%nition the Abstract 5/ressionists be%an to &all aart as %rou

9nternall), the) be%an to s@uabble over ositions o& lea+ershi, over matters o&

inte%rit) an+ autonom) A&ter Rothkos art 'as +eclare+ to be a %oo+ investment b)

no less a &inancial authorit) thanFortune ma%a*ine, the relationshi bet'een Rothko

an+ his uncomromisin% collea%ues 8till an+ e'man onl) 'orsene+ &urther in the

mi+-"#0s The) accuse+ Rothko o& harborin% an unhealth) )earnin% &or a bour%eois

e/istence, an+ &inall) stame+ him as a traitor 8till 'rote to Rothko to +eman+ the

return o& all the ictures the) ha+ e/chan%e+ over the )ears, ob;ectin% that certain

in+ivi+uals ha+ attemte+ to turn his 'orks into caital Rothko actuall) +i+ return theaintin%s, an+ 'ith this act, the &rien+shi en+e+ The break 'ith his comanion o&

2E


25/43

man) )ears a&&ecte+ Rothko +eel), an+ +esite e&&orts on his art the relationshi

never imrove+

Rothkos &inancial situation slo'l) be%an to imrove at the be%innin% o& the "#0s

Asi+e &rom the re%ular salaries accruin% &rom his teachin% ositions, amon% others at

Brookl)n 7olle%e, his art also be%an to make mone) &or him Rothko 'as invite+ to a

solo e/hibition at the Art 9nstitute o& 7hica%o in ?ctober "#E b) the institutions

curator, =atherine =uh The museum then bou%ht one o& his aintin%s &or &our

thousan+ +ollars At that oint the hi%hl) success&ul e' 6ork art +ealer 8i+ne) Janis

si%nale+ an interest in takin% Rothko on &or his %aller), 'here he alrea+) reresente+

Jackson Pollock an+ 3ran* =line Rothko le&t Bett) Parsons to si%n on 'ith Janis,

'ho sho'e+ "2 o& Rothkos 'orks at his %aller) in "# This settle+ Rothkos status

as a rota%onist o& international imortance in the ost'ar art scene, artist Thomas

ess 'rote Cike Bett) Parsons, Janis allo'e+ Rothko to han% his ictures himsel&

?nl) in the consi+eration o& li%htin% +i+ tension come an+ %o bet'een the artist an+

his %allerist Rothko +eman+e+ +im li%ht, &eelin% this 'oul+ len+ a m)sterious @ualit)

to his aintin%s 3rom this oint on, Rothko al'a)s insiste+ on a mute+ illumination

o& his 'orks At an) rate, 8i+ne) Janis markete+ Rothkos aintin%s much more

e&&ectivel) than Bett) Parsons ha+ ever +one, an+ even +urin% the recession o& "#G

he 'as able to sell " aintin%s &or more than 20 thousan+ +ollars 9n the same )ear,

Rothko 'as e/hibite+ at the >nite+ 8tates Pavilion o& the 2#thBiennale in enice,

'hich reresente+ an imortant ste in the assertion o& American aintin% in 5uroe

Desite this %ro'in% accetance, Rothko o&ten &elt unareciate+, an+ like+ to remark

that others misun+erstoo+ him 5ver) attemt to interret his 'orks le&t the ainter

anno)e+ Bio%raher James Breslin 'rites that Rothko 'ante+ the .e%o1 in his

aintin%s to remain +i&&icult to %ras e sa' his &orms as havin% a li&e o& their o'n,

somethin% be)on+ material boun+aries .M) art is not abstract, it lives an+ breathes,1

he sai+ An+ ;ust as a icture can come to li&e in the resence o& a sensitive vie'er, so

too mi%ht the reaction o& the vie'er be +ea+l) Be%innin% in "#0, Rothko stoe+

%ivin% an) e/lanations &or his aintin%s .8ilence is so accurate,1 he sai+, a++in% that

'or+s 'oul+ onl) .aral)*e1 the vie'ers min+ 9n one conversation he sai+, .Ma)be

)ou have notice+ t'o characteristics e/ist in m) aintin%s either their sur&aces are

e/ansive an+ ush out'ar+ in all +irections, or their sur&aces contract an+ rush

in'ar+ in all +irections Bet'een these t'o oles )ou can &in+ ever)thin% 9 'ant to

sa)1

Rothko increasin%l) re&use+ to be i+enti&ie+ 'ith the e' 6ork 8chool e hate+ ;ust

as much to be classi&ie+ as a %reat colorist 9n an intervie' 'ith 8el+en Ro+man he

roclaime+, .6ou mi%ht as 'ell %et one thin% strai%ht 9m not an abstractionist 9m

not intereste+ in the relationshi o& color to &orm or an)thin% else 9m intereste+ onl)

in e/ressin% basic human emotions- tra%e+), ecstas), +oom, an+ so on An+ the &act

that a lot o& eole break +o'n an+ cr) 'hen con&ronte+ 'ith m) ictures sho's that9 can communicate those basic human emotions The eole 'ho 'ee be&ore m)

2


26/43

ictures are havin% the same reli%ious e/erience 9 ha+ 'hen 9 ainte+ them An+ i&

)ou, as )ou sa), are move+ onl) b) their color relationshi, then )ou miss the oint1

9n &ear o& bein% +escribe+ too one-+imensionall), Rothko +eliberatel) +enie+ that the

me+ium o& color intereste+ him, althou%h it 'as lain that color 'as his rimar)

source o& e/ression .8ince there is no line,1 he tol+ 5laine De =oonin%, .'hat is

there le&t to aint 'ithK color NisO merel) an instrument1 ?n another occasion, he

announce+ that, .A aintin% is not about e/erience 9t is an e/erience1

The &ormal tools o& his tra+e serve+ Rothko merel) as instruments to relate an

e/erience o& transcen+ental realit) 3or him, the satialit) o& color, or color &iel+s,

hel+ m)thical o'ers, 'hich transorte+ themselves to the vie'er Be%innin% in "#$

an+ continuin% into his later )ears, Rothko ten+e+ to a+ot an increasin%l) +ark

alette e use+ &e'er re+s, )ello's, an+ oran%es, instea+ choosin% less bri%ht colors

such as bro'n, %ra), +ark blue, an+ black Rothkos aintin%s at a solo e/hibition at

the 8i+ne) Janis 4aller) in "#G 'ere in+ee+ less accessible, %loomier, more

m)sterious

2


27/43

Rothkos Murals An+ The Rise ?& Po Art

Rothko 'as commissione+ in mi+-"#G to &urnish the ne'l) &inishe+ 8ea%ram

Buil+in% on Park Avenue in e' 6ork 'ith 'all aintin%s The e+i&ice, +esi%ne+ b)

Mies van +er Rohe an+ Phili Johnson, is to+a) still the hea+@uarters o& the tra+ition-

rich bevera%e coman) Joseh 5 8ea%ram Q 8ons Rothko receive+ the contract on

June 2, re@uirin% him to .+ecorate1 an area totalin% rou%hl) so s@uare meters A &ee

o& thousan+ +ollars 'as ne%otiate+, inclu+in% a +o'n a)ment o& seven thousan+,

'ith the rest to be ai+ in installments over the ne/t &our )ears The room Rothko 'as

to +ecorate 'as that o& the 3our 8easons restaurant, &oreseen as a noble eater) &or elite

mana%ement This 'as to be the &irst time that Rothko 'oul+ +esi%n a relate+ series o&

aintin%s, as 'ell as the &irst time he 'oul+ create 'orks &or a seci&ic room The

3our 8easons +inin% hall 'as lon% an+ narro' 9n or+er &or his ictures to be seen,

the) 'oul+ nee+ to be hun% over the hea+s o& the +iners, an+ not, as Rothko ha+

reviousl) &avore+, be lace+ ;ust above the &loor

Durin% the months in 'hich he 'orke+ on the 8ea%ram murals, he comlete+ three

series o& %i%antic 'all aintin%s, aro/imatel) E0 'orks in all, an+ &or the &irst time

in 20 )ears ma+e ainte+ sketches as stu+ies e use+ a 'arm alette o& +ark re+ an+

bro'n tones, breakin% the hori*ontal structure o& his ictures b) turnin% them at #0-

+e%ree an%les 9n this 'a) he create+ a 'ork that 'oul+ relate +irectl) to thearchitecture o& the room The sur&aces o& color recalle+ architectural elements, as

columns, 'alls, +oors an+ 'in+o's, %ivin% the vie'er a &eelin% o& con&inement, )et

resentin% him 'ith an unreachable 'orl+ be)on+

Rothko chose to take a break &rom his 'ork on the murals in June "##, a &ull )ear

into the ro;ect e +eci+e+ to travel 'ith his &amil) to 5uroe, takin% them over the

Atlantic b) shi ?n boar+ the 88 9n+een+ence he met John 3ischer, then ublisher

o& the venerable.ar(er-s Maga2ine/ The t'o became &ast &rien+s, an+ Rothko

eventuall) con&i+e+ in 3ischer that he took the commission &or the 8ea%ram Buil+in%

in the hoe o& .aintin% somethin% that 'ill ruin the aetite o& ever) son-o&-a-bitch'ho ever eats in that room 9& the restaurant 'oul+ re&use to ut u m) murals, that

'oul+ be the ultimate comliment But the) 'ont Peole can stan+ an)thin% these

+a)s1 3ischer 'rote about their encounter a&ter Rothkos +eath, @uotin% him as

&ollo's: .9 hate an+ +istrust all art historians, e/erts, an+ critics The) are a bunch o&

arasites, &ee+in% on the bo+) o& art Their 'ork not onl) is useless, it is mislea+in%

The) can sa) nothin% 'orth listenin% to about art or the artist Asi+e &rom ersonal

%ossi, 'hich 9 %rant )ou can sometimes be interestin%1 Desite this o&t-e/resse+

antiath) &or art critics, it seems as i& Rothko hoe+ &irst an+ &oremost to make an

imression on his ne' ac@uaintance 'ith his olemics The ainters comments reveala +ee-seate+ +iscom&ort in .+ecoratin%1 the omous, elite restaurant

2$


28/43

The Rothko an+ 3ischer &amilies 'ent ashore at ales an+ visite+ Pomeii

Accor+in% to 3ischer, Rothko sa' .a +ee relationshi1 bet'een his current 'ork at

8ea%rams an+ the anti@ue murals in the illa +i Misteri The Rothkos travele+ on to

Rome, 3lorence, an+ enice 9n 3lorence, Rothko sou%ht out the Michelan%elo-

+ecorate+ librar) in 8an Coren*o, ;ust as he ha+ +urin% an earlier tri in "#0 9n alater intervie' 'ith 3ischer, Rothko a+mitte+ that the &eelin% o& sace create+ b)

Michelan%elos 'all aintin%s in the buil+in%s stair'ells 'ere a source o& insiration

&or his 8ea%ram murals .This room ha+ e/actl) the &eelin% that 9 'ante+,1 Rothko

sai+ .9t %ives the visitor the &eelin% o& bein% cau%ht in a room 'ith the +oors an+

'in+o's 'alle+-in shut1 3rom 9tal), the &amil) continue+ to Paris, Brussels, Ant'er

an+ Amster+am, &inall) leavin% &rom Con+on to return to the >nite+ 8tates on the

ocean liner ueen 5li*abeth 99

A&ter their return, Mark an+ Mell 'ent one ni%ht to have +inner at the 3our 8easons

e 'as so incense+ at the retentious ambiance that he +eci+e+ to %ive u the ro;ect

on the sot B) that time, in "#0, the artist 'as earnin% enou%h mone) to be able to

return the a+vance he ha+ receive+ an+ siml) kee the aintin%s &or himsel& The

recall o& the 8ea%ram murals create+ a stir in the ress an+ 'as &ollo'e+ 'ith interest

To+a) 'e can no lon%er reconstruct Rothkos ori%inal resentation concet, because

these aintin%s have been scattere+ all aroun+ the 'orl+ ine han% at the Tate

4aller) in Con+on, a secon+ %rouin% at the =a'amura Memorial Museum in Jaan

an+ 'ith others in the collections o& the ational 4aller) o& Art in


29/43

Another air o& collectors, Domini@ue an+ John +e Menil, oil-rich atrons o& the arts

&rom ouston, Te/as, took a il%rima%e to meet Rothko in e' 6ork Rothko also

icke+ u a bu)er in Davi+ Rocke&eller, scion o& the astronomicall) rich Rocke&eller

emire an+ +irector o& the 7hase Manhattan Bank B) "#0, as the rices &etche+ &or

his aintin%s be%an to climb +ramaticall), Rothko 'as alrea+) $ )ears ol+


30/43

b) the 3rench art historian an+ critic Pierre Restan) ?n seein% the sho', Rothko,

3ran* =line, Mother'ell an+ De =oonin% all le&t the Janis 4aller) in a ra%e Rothko

summe+ u their an%er in the cris @uestion: .Are these )oun% artists lottin% to kill

us allK1

Aroun+ this time Rothko %ot another oortunit) to +esi%n a ublic room e/clusivel)

'ith his o'n aintin%s e ne%otiate+ a +eal 'ith arvar+ >niversit) to +esi%n a

series o& 'all aintin%s &or the lanne+ enthouse o& the arvar+ ol)oke 7enter, a

buil+in% to be constructe+ b) the 8anish architect JosS Cuis 8ert The aintin%s 'ere

to be a %i&t o& the artist, althou%h arvar+ reserve+ the ri%ht to re&use the 'orks i& it

chose Rothko &inishe+ 22 sketches, &rom 'hich &ive murals 'ere create+ an+ later

installe+ in the ol)oke 7enter These consiste+ o& a trit)ch an+ t'o lar%e sin%le

'all aintin%s, in 'hich Rothko took u an+ +eveloe+ the ortal ima%es he ori%inall)

conceive+ &or the 8ea%ram Buil+in% All the aintin%s ha+ a +ark re+ back%roun+,

'hich varie+ in color an+ contrast accor+in% to the number o& la)ers o& color alie+

over the &oun+ation

Just as Rothko &inishe+ these murals, he receive+ a visit at his e' 6ork stu+io &rom

arvar+ resi+ent athan Puse), a man 'ho un+erstoo+ little about contemorar) art

Puse) 'ante+ to insect an+ arove the 'orks The artist 'elcome+ the resi+ent at

the stu+io 'ith a %lass o& 'hiske), an+ a&ter a len%th) +iscussion Rothko aske+ &or his

ver+ict Puse), a mi+-'estern Metho+ist, vacillate+ be&ore &inall) ans'erin% that he

&oun+ the aintin%s .ver) sorro'&ul1 Rothko countere+ that the +ark emotion create+

b) the trit)ch 'as inten+e+ to re&lect the su&&erin% o& 7hrist on 4oo+ 3ri+a), 'hile

the t'o some'hat bri%hter ictures 'ere meant to invoke 5aster 8un+a) an+ the

Resurrection Puse) %re' @uite e/cite+ an+ imresse+ 'ith Rothkos e/lanations,

believin% these reveale+ the artist to be a hilosoher 'ith a universal vision an+

messa%e Returnin% to 7ambri+%e, he recommen+e+ that the boar+ o& trustees arove

the aintin%s, 'hich 'ere hun% in Januar) "# 'ith the artist himsel& resent


31/43

Reis si%ne+ a contract 'ith 3rank Clo)+, the o'ner o& the Marlborou%h 4aller) in

e' 6ork The contract %ave Clo)+ e/clusive ri%hts to Rothkos 'orks outsi+e o& the

>nite+ 8tates Clo)+s u an+ comin% %aller) 'oul+ reresent the artist in 5uroe,

'hile Rothko 'oul+ continue sellin% aintin%s himsel& &rom his e' 6ork stu+io


32/43

The Rothko 7hael An+ The Tate 4aller) Room

John an+ Domini@ue +e Menil o& ouston 'ere both imresse+ 'ith Rothkos 'ork,

in articular 'ith his arvar+ murals an+ the aintin%s &or the 'alls o& the 8ea%ram

Buil+in%, 'hich the) ha+ seen in Rothkos stu+io 5arl) in "#, the t'o %ave the

artist 20,000 +ollars in commissions &or a series o& lar%e 'all murals These 'ere

inten+e+ &or a chael 'hich the +e Menils lanne+ to buil+ &or 8t Thomas 7atholic

>niversit) in ouston, 'here Domini@ue +e Menil 'as the +irector o& the Art

Deartment Rothko 'as over;o)e+ 'ith the ro;ect


33/43

sur&ace 9n total, he ro+uce+ "Elar%e-&ormat aintin%s, in three trit)chs an+ &ive

in+ivi+ual 'orks, to%ether 'ith a voluminous collection o& sketches an+ stu+ies al&

o& the ouston aintin%s 'ere &inishe+ as monochromes, a &irst &or the artist The

other hal& he ainte+ 'ith black rectan%les, 'hose shar bor+ers reresente+ another

novelt) Rothko, &or the &irst time, ha+ &ore%one the sensuous, enticin% e&&ect o& his.color clou+s1 'ith their so&t, nebulous e+%es The central 'all o& the chael

containe+ a monochrome trit)ch in so&t bro'n tones The air o& trit)chs to the le&t

an+ ri%ht hel+ rectan%les in oa@ue black 3our in+ivi+ual aintin%s 'ere lace+

bet'een the three trit)ches, an+ a &urther in+ivi+ual aintin% 'as locate+ +irectl)

oosite the central trit)ch Durin% the e/ecution o& the 'ork, Rothko o&ten invite+

ac@uaintances to his stu+io to hear their oinions e 'as aarentl) uncertain o& his

ne' aroach, as these 'orks 'ere much more hermetic an+ +istance+ than an)thin%

'hich he ha+ reviousl) comlete+ The series o& aintin%s 'ere &inishe+ b) the en+

o& "#$ an+ brou%ht to a storeroom, 'here the) 'ere to be house+ until thecomletion o& the chael

Rothko continue+ this e/loration o& +ark colors in the last t'o )ears o& his li&e The

Black on 4ra) canvases o& "##-"#$0 (ill "$, #0! an+ lar%e scale Bro'n on 4ra)

'orks on aer (ill G#! maintain the sombre moo+ o& the 7hael Murals, an+ like

those 'orks, kee the vie'er at a +istance 9n a ma;or +earture &or Rothko, ho'ever,

the) +o not share the murals me+itative aura their %ra) ortions contain an action

an+ turbulence not seen in Rothkos 'ork in more than t'ent) )ears An+ 'hile it is

temtin% to see these +ark aintin%s as the e/ression o& Rothkos severe +eression,

one must also note that he 'as aintin% lar%e 'orks on aer in astel blues, inks

an+ terracotta on 'hite back%roun+s (ill GE! +urin% his &inal months

9n "## the +e Menils urchase+ the e'man sculture, roken O+elisk, an+ ha+ it lace+

in a re&lectin% on+ ne/t to the chael (ill $2! The sculture 'as a monument to

Dr Martin Cuther =in%, the American civil ri%hts lea+er mur+ere+ one )ear be&ore

e'man, like Rothko, +ie+ in "#$0 either artist live+ to see the +e+ication o& the

ecumenical chael, 'hich oene+ to the ublic on Januar) 2, "#$", e/actl) one )ear

a&ter Rothkos +eath, 'ith a %rou o& lea+in% 7atholic, Je'ish, Bu++hist, Muslim,

Protestant an+ 4reek ?rtho+o/ clerics in atten+ance A car+inal 'as +isatche+ &rom

Rome to reresent the oe

Domini@ue +e Menils +e+ication seech +eserves to be @uote+ at len%th:

.9 think the aintin%s themselves 'ill tell us 'hat to think o& them- i& 'e

%ive them a chance The) 'ill e+ucate us to ;u+%e them 5ver) 'ork o& art

establishes its o'n base &or criticism 5ver) 'ork o& art creates the

climate in 'hich it can be un+erstoo+

5ver)'here 'here creative eole are tr)in% to oen a ne' +oor, there is

al'a)s more than meets the e)e in an authentic 'ork o& art At &irst 'e


34/43


35/43

Rothko ma+e it clear to Rei+ that he 'oul+ like to have his aintin%s hun% in the ol+er

section o& the museum, ne/t to the 'orks o& Turner 8ai+ Rothko, .9 still hol+ the

room at The Tate as art o& m) +reams1 3ollo'in% lon% +eliberations, nine o& the

#eagram Murals 'ere eventuall) brou%ht to Con+on shortl) a&ter the artists +eath, to

be ermanentl) e/hibite+ in a searate room

Rothkos 'ish to have the #eagram Murals sho'n to%ether in one room re&lecte+ his

thou%hts on ho' to i+eall) resent his 'orks e 'ante+ to create a kin+ o&

.+omicile1 &or these aintin%s, into 'hich a visitor entere+ h)sicall) 3ollo'in% his

earlier 'or+s, observers shoul+ &in+ a +ialo% 'ith his aintin%s, as .a consummate+

e/erience bet'een icture an+ onlooker1 Rothko sou%ht to have his visitor enter a

universe o& stillness, to set him into an atmoshere o& me+itative contemlation an+

a'e

9n the srin% o& "#G Rothko 'as hositali*e+ 'ith an aneur)sm o& the aorta, the

result o& his hi%h bloo+ ressure e 'as encoura%e+ to eat a more balance+ +iet an+,

eseciall), to re+uce his alcohol intake an+ sto smokin% 9n a++ition, his +octor

&orba+e him &rom 'orkin% on ictures lar%er than one )ar+ in hei%ht is marria%e,

alrea+) straine+ an+ no' oenl) &racture+ b) the imotence he su&&ere+ o'in% to his

illness, became a &urther bur+en Althou%h his +eclinin% health &ri%htene+ him,

Rothko continue+ to +rink an+ smoke The &amil) sent the summer o& "#G in

Provinceto'n Because o& his health, Rothko ha+ be%un to 'ork in smaller &ormats,

usin% acr)lics on aer These @uickl) &inishe+ 'orks re&lecte+ his classic rectan%ular

color &ormations =atharine =uhs later assessment 'as unsarin%: .e ha+ 'orke+

on the ouston chael 'ith such +evotion that a&ter'ar+ he 'as racticall) burne+

out1

The holi+a) to%ether +i+ little to alleviate Mark an+ Mel Rothkos marital roblems

The) searate+ on Januar) ", "## Rothko move+ into his stu+io is increasin%

'ealth +i+ nothin% to re+uce his arsimon) is &rien+s became concerne+ that his

health 'as 'orsenin%, that he 'as becomin% increasin%l) susicious, an/ious, an+

lonel) e 'as +eressive, su&&ere+ &rom s)mtoms o& con&usion, an+ 'as sometimes

into/icate+ b) heav) +rinkin%, smokin%, an+ e/cessive consumtion o& me+ications

e met o&ten &or a time 'ith Rita Reinhar+t, the attractive 4erman-born 'i+o' o& theartist A+ Reinhar+t, but still coul+ not &in+ a 'a) to recover &rom the searation 'ith

Mell

Mark Rothkos accetance an+ &ame continue+ to %ro' &ollo'in% each e/hibition,

even as he &elt himsel& isolate+ an+ +isara%e+ 3or e/amle, an e/hibition o& his

'ork at Con+ons


36/43

b) Alan Bo'ness in The O+server/ 7ritic an+ ainter An+re' 3or%e 'rote, .


37/43

Rothkos Death an+ Ce%ac)

?n that col+


38/43

multilicit) o& %lo'in% resences, in a %lor) o& trans&ormations ot all

the 'orl+s corrution 'ashes hi%h colors a'a)1

The scultor erbert 3erber soke about their man) )ears o& &rien+shi At the en+ o&

the ceremon), Rothkos brother recite+ &rom the =a++ish, the Je'ish Pra)er o& the

Dea+ Man) eole 'ho atten+e+ the &uneral remaine+ a&ter'ar+s on the Ma+ison

Avenue si+e'alk to talk about Rothkos e/cetional career an+ to e/ress their

re%rets

A mere hal&-)ear later, on Au%ust 2, "#$0, Mel Rothko +ie+ at the a%e o& EG er

+eath 'as a shock &or both her chil+ren an+ her &rien+s 7hristoher, Rothkos

)oun%est son, 'as a+ote+ b) Dr Cevine, one o& the mana%ers o& his estate =ate soon

became unha) about the strict treatment the )oun% bo) 'as receivin% in Cevines

care, an+ collecte+ him in short time to brin% him to her aunt, Mells sister Barbara

orthru, 'ho live+ in 7olumbus, ?hio

9n his testament, Rothko ha+ name+ the anthroolo%ist Dr Morton Cevine, the artist

Theo+oros 8tamos an+ Bernar+ J Reis as mana%ers o& his estate At the insistence o&

Reis, the three came to%ether a &e' months a&ter the burial in or+er to e/amine an+

comb throu%h the nearl) Goo 'orks in their char%e Reis, 'ho ortra)e+ himsel& as a

.&rien+1 o& Rothkos, in &act rove+ t'o-&ace+ an+ +eceit&ul


39/43

>nite+ 8tates, as 'ell as to &our in 5uroe an+ t'o in 9srael The &oun+ation also

suorte+ imecunious artists, &ollo'in% Rothkos ori%inal 'ishes

Mark Rothko to+a) has his lace as one o& the most imortant ainters o& ost-


40/43

Mark Rothko "#0F"#$0

&hronolog"

"#0: Marcus Rothko'it* born to Anna 4ol+in an+ Jacob Rothko'it* as the )oun%est

o& &our chil+ren on 8et 2 in Dvinsk, Russia

"#"0: 3ather Rothko'it* emi%rates to the >nite+ 8tates an+ settles in Portlan+,

?re%on

"#": Marcus, his mother an+ sister emi%rate to the >nite+ 8tates The &amil) is

reunite+

"#"E: The &ather +ies

"#2"F2: Marcus atten+s 6ale >niversit) in e' aven, 7onnecticut

"#2E: Takes anatom) 'ith 4eor%e Bri+%eman at the Art 8tu+ents Cea%ue (A8C! in

e' 6ork 7it)

"#2: 8tu+ies aintin% 'ith Ma/


41/43

"#E: Paints the last o& his surrealist 'orks, on aer

"#E$: Paintin%s become increasin%l) abstract, 'ith the rise o& the multi&orms, 'hich

'ithin a &e' months evolve into the rectan%ular color &ormations characteristic o& the

late erio+ 9n this transition hase he aints less 'orks on aer 3irst one-man sho'

at the Bett) Parsons 4aller) in e' 6ork

"#EG: Takes art in the Annual 5/hibition &or 7ontemorar) American 8culture,

niversit) to +ecorate a +inin% hall at the ol)oke 7enter

'ith murals

"#: 8en+s si/ murals to arvar+ The universit) asks him to choose &ive &or a

ermanent installation Birth o& his son, 7hristoher 7ontract 'ith the Marlborou%h

4aller) in e' 6ork

"#E: ire+ b) John an+ Domini@ue +e Menil to create monumental murals &or a ne'

chael in ouston

"#: 5nters talks 'ith 8ir orman Rei+, +irector o& the Tate 4aller), on +onations to

the Museum ine o& the #eagram Murals are installe+ ermanentl) in a room at the

Tate in "#$0

E"


42/43

"#: Thir+ an+ &inal ;ourne) to 5uroe

"#$: Teaches at the >niversit) o& 7ali&ornia in Berkele)

"#G: 8u&&ers an aortal aneur)sm three 'eeks in hosital Be%ins to catalo% his 'ork

"##: 8earation &rom Mell Moves out o& their house an+ into his stu+io Be%ins to'ork on the UDark Paintin%sU Receives an honorar) +octorate &rom 6ale

"#$0: Rothko commits suici+e on 3ebruar) 2

"#$": De+ication o& theRothko &ha(el in ouston, Te/as The buil+in% belon%s to

the Rice >niversit) 9nstitute &or Reli%ion un+ uman Develoment

E2


43/43

8electe+ Biblio%rah)

James Breslin,Mark Rothko! A iogra(h", 7hica%o, "##

Peter 8el*,Mark Rothko, (5/h-cat! The Museum o& Mo+ern Art, e' 6ork, "#"

Mark Rothko! The 056780565 Murals, (5/h-cat! Pace 4aller), e' 6ork, "#$G

Diane niversit) Art Museum, 7ambri+%e MA, "#GG

8usan J Barnes, The Rothko &ha(el! An Act o$ Faith, Austin, Te/as "#G#

Anna 7 7have,Mark Rothko! #u+=ects in A+straction,e' aven an+ Con+on, "#G#

Thomas =ellein,Mark Rothko! >aa+a in New York, (5/h-cat! =unsthalle Basel, "#G#

Mark Rothko! Multi$orms, (5/h-cat! Pace 4aller), e' 6ork, "##0

7hristoh 4runenber%,Mark Rothko, (5/h-cat! ational 4aller) o& Art,

jacob baal-teshuva - mark rothko - pictures as drama

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