Mark Rothko

Pace Gallery, New York
Acquired by the present owner from the above in 1996

This work is in very good condition. There is a minute nick at the bottom left corner, and a few small nicks around the extreme edges. The coloration of the lateral edges of the painting appears to have faded mildly with age, which is consistent with works of this period. There are a few light spot irregularities to the paint surface, which do not fluoresce under ultraviolet light, that are visible under normal light conditions approximately 3 ¾ in. from the top and 6 and 7 in. from the left edge, respectively. There are two small, 1 in. lines of in-painting approximately 3 in. from the bottom and 1 7/8 in. from the right edge, and 5 ½ in. from the bottom along the right edge. Framed in a box frame.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

In order to understand fully understand the scope and breadth of Mark Rothko's extraordinary visual vocabulary; one must also consider his body of works on paper. Together with his canvases, the works on canvas sketch the artist's quest for a primal aesthetic language. Executed in 1959, the present Untitled is painted in the emotive palette so characteristic of Rothko from this period. Here, color has been soaked into the support and then fleshed out with feathery, deliberate brushstrokes, with further definition grounding these passages as densely painted areas. This serves to establish the amorphous, evanescent forms that seemingly float on top of each other, hovering on the subtly diffused surface that creates a halo-like effect which seems to simultaneously radiate out from and recede into the picture plane. Rothko achieves this optical effect through the use of opaque and translucent paint layers; constantly adding and subtracting the density of painted 'weight' on the support to ensure the overall movement of the abstract surface.

 

Works on paper, such as this, were prepared in a specific manner. Rothko would attach the sheet to an easel, and then later mount the sheet onto canvas. He would manipulate thinned pigments with utmost precision in order for them to blend and bleed with greater subtlety across the absorbent paper. Although the application alone greatly contributes to the ethereal appearance, the diluted oil possesses a compelling opacity that further distinguishes the works on paper. In the present work the correlation of handling and medium resound with a glorious chromatic energy whereby the deep charcoal forms reverberate against a bright umber ground. As such, it is understandable why Rothko never thought of these paper works as 'drawings', but as 'paintings', thus blurring the definition between the two disciplines. In his smaller format works on paper, Rothko also typically placed his centrally aligned forms more equidistant from the edges as asymmetry is more noticeable on a smaller intimate scale, as evinced in the present work. "Thus with their symmetry, tidy execution and minimal gesture the small works on paper often seem to be more quintessential Rothko than many of his canvases." (Bonnie Clearwater, Mark Rothko: Works on Paper, New York, 1984, p. 39) Therefore, whether on paper or canvas, Rothko's ideology and methodology come together in the most glorious fashion.

 

In Untitled, 1959, the contemplative space created is much like a vacuum of both time and energy, and is wonderfully capable of moving the viewer to extreme states of feeling. That lofty goal, often likened to a spiritual awakening, is passionately achieved. This dilutes any sense of 'decoration' attached to the painting, and enhances its conceptual edge.