Mark Rothko: Works on Paper

by Bonnie Clearwater

Rothko's drawings , watercolours, and paintings on paper, spanning more than 40 years. Less famous than his huge paintings of floating rectangles in glowing colours, these were hitherto unavailable and largely unknown. The text emphasises how essential these works are to an understanding of Rothko's career.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published May 25, 1984

Reviews

[James]

I'm not sure why Mark Rothko's paintings catch my eye. On the surface, they're just fields of color, swatches almost on the canvas. But something about the way they're crafted, the delicacy and care of the composition, makes me linger and stare.

"Mark Rothko: Works on Paper" has a good number of Rothko compositions in the classic style, which makes the book worth whatever time you care to spend looking at it. It also captures the evolution in the artist's style, from student pieces to Surrealistic-style works that aren't quite as engaging as the color pieces he's best known for.

There's a history too, narrating Rothko's life and, in particular, his artistic evolution, but it's dense and academic; I didn't find it especially rewarding. The full-color plates are the star attraction.

[Chris Gager]

Another gift from my friend Karen. Rothko's the best.