Mark Rothko (1903-1970) (after) - "Untitled, 1960-61"

- Mark Rothko (after). Authorized offset on heavyweight smooth satin paper (approx. 250gsm - refers to paper thickness/density).

- Copyright 2005 Christopher Rothko & Kate Rothko Prizel.

- Stamp on verso.

- Size: 60 x 80cm.

- Condition: excellent. Never framed, never exposed.

- Mark Rothko (1903–1970) was a Russian-born American painter and a central figure of Abstract Expressionism. He is best known as a leading representative of the Color Field movement, in which vast planes of luminous color were used to evoke deep emotional and spiritual responses. Rothko sought to move beyond traditional subject matter, aiming instead to create direct encounters between viewer and painting works that, in his words, addressed “the basic human emotions: tragedy, ecstasy, doom.”

His artistic journey began with figurative and surrealist influences, but by the late 1940s he had developed his signature style: large-scale canvases with soft-edged rectangles of color that seem to float against subtly modulated grounds. These meditative works invited prolonged contemplation and were often installed in immersive, chapel-like settings.

Rothko’s paintings are among the most valuable of modern art. Several have sold for over $80 million at auction, with one work surpassing $186 million in a private sale, reflecting their rarity and cultural significance. Collectors and institutions consider them masterpieces of 20th-century abstraction.

The work Untitled (1960–61) exemplifies Rothko’s mature style. It features a deep, saturated block of dark purple set against a luminous pink ground, with blurred edges that create a sense of vibration and depth. The contrast between the dark, dense lower rectangle and the radiant upper field conveys both tension and balance, evoking a meditative, almost transcendent atmosphere. This work demonstrates Rothko’s mastery in using color alone to generate profound emotional resonance and is characteristic of the intensely expressive canvases of his final decade.

Mark Rothko stands alongside other major modern masters such as Barnett Newman, Clyfford Still, Jackson Pollock or Willem de Kooning. Rothko is regarded as an icon of 20th-century visual culture, comparable to other major cultural figures such as Joan Miró, Henri Matisse, Banksy, David Hockney or Jeff Koons, both for his profound artistic legacy and for the enduring international demand and strong market valuation of his work.