Mark Rothko

Mark Rothko was a Latvian-born American artist and one of the most influential figures of Abstract Expressionism. Born Markus Rothkowitz in 1903 in present-day Latvia, he immigrated with his Jewish family to the United States as a child, eventually settling in New York City. Early in his career, Rothko painted urban scenes and figurative subjects before turning toward mythological imagery and Surrealist influences during the 1940s.

By the late 1940s, Rothko developed the signature style for which he became internationally renowned: large-scale canvases featuring softly edged rectangular fields of luminous color. His paintings were intended to evoke deep emotional and spiritual responses rather than simply function as abstract compositions. Rothko believed art should communicate universal human emotions such as tragedy, ecstasy, and contemplation. Later in life, he created major mural commissions, including works for the Rothko Chapel in Houston. Today, Rothko’s meditative color field paintings are considered masterpieces of modern art and among the most valuable works ever sold.