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Rothko
One of the most esteemed abstract expressionists and greatest painters of the 20th century Mark Rothko belongs to the generation of American artists who completely revolutionized the essence of abstract painting. His stylistic evolution, from a figurative visual repertoire to an abstract style rooted in the active relationship of the observer to the painting, embodied the radical vision of a renaissance in painting. Rothko characterized this relationship as "a consummated experience between picture and onlooker". His colour formations indeed draw the observer into a space filled with an inner light.
Rothko always resisted attempts to interpret his paintings. He was mainly concerned with the viewer`s experience, the merging of work and recipient beyond verbal comprehension. Rothko was an intellectual, a thinker, a highly educated man. He loved music and literature and was very involved in philosophy, especially in the works of Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche and of ancient Greek philosophy and mythology.
Rothko was a protagonist within the movement of American painters who became known as the Abstract Expressionists. First formed in New York City during the inter-war years, this group was also called the New York School. In all the history of art, they became the first American artists to receive international recognition as a significant movement. Many among them, including Rothko, have become legendary figures. About the
Each book in TASCHEN’s Basic Art series
Rothko always resisted attempts to interpret his paintings. He was mainly concerned with the viewer`s experience, the merging of work and recipient beyond verbal comprehension. Rothko was an intellectual, a thinker, a highly educated man. He loved music and literature and was very involved in philosophy, especially in the works of Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche and of ancient Greek philosophy and mythology.
Rothko was a protagonist within the movement of American painters who became known as the Abstract Expressionists. First formed in New York City during the inter-war years, this group was also called the New York School. In all the history of art, they became the first American artists to receive international recognition as a significant movement. Many among them, including Rothko, have become legendary figures. About the
Each book in TASCHEN’s Basic Art series
96 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
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December 12, 2020
Mark Rothko, original name Marcus Rothkovitch, (born Sept. 25, 1903, Dvinsk, Russia—died Feb. 25, 1970, New York City, N.Y., U.S.), American painter whose works introduced contemplative introspection into the melodramatic post-World War II Abstract Expressionist school; his use of colour as the sole means of expression led to the development of Colour Field Painting.
In 1913 Rothko’s family emigrated from Russia to the U.S., where they settled in Portland, Ore. During his youth he was preoccupied with politics and social issues. He entered Yale University in 1921, intending to become a labour leader, but dropped out after two years and wandered about the U.S. In 1925 he settled in New York City and took up painting. Although he studied briefly under the painter Max Weber, he was essentially self-taught.
Rothko first worked in a realistic style that culminated in his Subway series of the late 1930s, showing the loneliness of persons in drab urban environments. This gave way in the early 1940s to the semi-abstract biomorphic forms of the ritualistic Baptismal Scene (1945). By 1948, however, he had arrived at a highly personal form of Abstract Expressionism. Unlike many of his fellow Abstract Expressionists, Rothko never relied on such dramatic techniques as violent brushstrokes or the dripping and splattering of paint. Instead, his virtually gestureless paintings achieved their effects by juxtaposing large areas of melting colours that seemingly float parallel to the picture plane in an indeterminate, atmospheric space.
Rothko spent the rest of his life refining this basic style through continuous simplification. He restricted his designs to two or three “soft-edged” rectangles that nearly filled the wall-sized vertical formats like monumental abstract icons. Despite their large size, however, his paintings derived a remarkable sense of intimacy from the play of nuances within local colour.
From 1958 to 1966 Rothko worked intermittently on a series of 14 immense canvases (the largest was about 11 × 15 feet [3 × 5 metres]) eventually placed in a nondenominational chapel in Houston, Texas, called, after his death, the Rothko Chapel. These paintings were virtual monochromes of darkly glowing browns, maroons, reds, and blacks. Their sombre intensity reveals the deep mysticism of Rothko’s later years. Plagued by ill health and the conviction that he had been forgotten by those artists who had learned most from his painting, he committed suicide.
After his death, the execution of Rothko’s will provoked one of the most spectacular and complex court cases in the history of modern art, lasting for 11 years (1972–82). The misanthropic Rothko had hoarded his works, numbering 798 paintings, as well as many sketches and drawings. His daughter, Kate Rothko, accused the executors of the estate (Bernard J. Reis, Theodoros Stamos, and Morton Levine) and Frank Lloyd, owner of Marlborough Galleries in New York City, of conspiracy and conflict of interest in selling the works—in effect, of enriching themselves. The courts decided against the executors and Lloyd, who were heavily fined. Lloyd was tried separately and convicted on criminal charges of tampering with evidence. In 1979 a new board of the Mark Rothko Foundation was established, and all the works in the estate were divided between the artist’s two children and the Foundation. In 1984 the Foundation’s share of works was distributed to 19 museums in the United States, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Israel; the best and the largest proportion went to the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Source: https://www.britannica.com/biography/...
In 1913 Rothko’s family emigrated from Russia to the U.S., where they settled in Portland, Ore. During his youth he was preoccupied with politics and social issues. He entered Yale University in 1921, intending to become a labour leader, but dropped out after two years and wandered about the U.S. In 1925 he settled in New York City and took up painting. Although he studied briefly under the painter Max Weber, he was essentially self-taught.
Rothko first worked in a realistic style that culminated in his Subway series of the late 1930s, showing the loneliness of persons in drab urban environments. This gave way in the early 1940s to the semi-abstract biomorphic forms of the ritualistic Baptismal Scene (1945). By 1948, however, he had arrived at a highly personal form of Abstract Expressionism. Unlike many of his fellow Abstract Expressionists, Rothko never relied on such dramatic techniques as violent brushstrokes or the dripping and splattering of paint. Instead, his virtually gestureless paintings achieved their effects by juxtaposing large areas of melting colours that seemingly float parallel to the picture plane in an indeterminate, atmospheric space.
Rothko spent the rest of his life refining this basic style through continuous simplification. He restricted his designs to two or three “soft-edged” rectangles that nearly filled the wall-sized vertical formats like monumental abstract icons. Despite their large size, however, his paintings derived a remarkable sense of intimacy from the play of nuances within local colour.
From 1958 to 1966 Rothko worked intermittently on a series of 14 immense canvases (the largest was about 11 × 15 feet [3 × 5 metres]) eventually placed in a nondenominational chapel in Houston, Texas, called, after his death, the Rothko Chapel. These paintings were virtual monochromes of darkly glowing browns, maroons, reds, and blacks. Their sombre intensity reveals the deep mysticism of Rothko’s later years. Plagued by ill health and the conviction that he had been forgotten by those artists who had learned most from his painting, he committed suicide.
After his death, the execution of Rothko’s will provoked one of the most spectacular and complex court cases in the history of modern art, lasting for 11 years (1972–82). The misanthropic Rothko had hoarded his works, numbering 798 paintings, as well as many sketches and drawings. His daughter, Kate Rothko, accused the executors of the estate (Bernard J. Reis, Theodoros Stamos, and Morton Levine) and Frank Lloyd, owner of Marlborough Galleries in New York City, of conspiracy and conflict of interest in selling the works—in effect, of enriching themselves. The courts decided against the executors and Lloyd, who were heavily fined. Lloyd was tried separately and convicted on criminal charges of tampering with evidence. In 1979 a new board of the Mark Rothko Foundation was established, and all the works in the estate were divided between the artist’s two children and the Foundation. In 1984 the Foundation’s share of works was distributed to 19 museums in the United States, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Israel; the best and the largest proportion went to the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Source: https://www.britannica.com/biography/...
September 23, 2023
"How could he, with such a small number of variations, initiate discussions between picture and viewer as personal, direct and intimate as chamber music? How could he, with these few combinations in a palette of hot and cold, bright and dark, shiny and matte, rapturous and melancholy colours, call forth feelings that recreate the breadth, variety, drama, depth and panorama of the orchestral music he so utterly loved? Who can answer such ques-tions? Only the pictures themselves - and each observer."
"We are reasserting man's natural desire for the exalted, for a concern with our relationship to the absolute emotions. We do not need the obsolete props of an outmoded and antiquated legend. We are creating images whose reality is self-evident and which are devoid of the props and crutches that evoke associations with outmoded images, both sublime and beautiful.
We are freeing ourselves of the impediments of memory, association, nostalgia, legend, myth, or what have you, that have been the devices of Western European painting. Instead of making cathedrals out of Christ, man, or 'life', we are making it out of ourselves, out of our own feelings. The image we produce is the self-evident one of revelation, real and concrete, that can be understood by anyone who will look at it without the nostalgic glasses of history."
- BARNETT NEWMAN, 1948
"We are reasserting man's natural desire for the exalted, for a concern with our relationship to the absolute emotions. We do not need the obsolete props of an outmoded and antiquated legend. We are creating images whose reality is self-evident and which are devoid of the props and crutches that evoke associations with outmoded images, both sublime and beautiful.
We are freeing ourselves of the impediments of memory, association, nostalgia, legend, myth, or what have you, that have been the devices of Western European painting. Instead of making cathedrals out of Christ, man, or 'life', we are making it out of ourselves, out of our own feelings. The image we produce is the self-evident one of revelation, real and concrete, that can be understood by anyone who will look at it without the nostalgic glasses of history."
- BARNETT NEWMAN, 1948
January 22, 2024
Wollte mich auf die Rothko Ausstellung in Paris vorbereiten, hat mich sehr begeistert, bin wahnsinnig gespannt!!
March 22, 2020
Bijzonder interessant en toegankelijk inkijkje in het leven van Mark Rothko. In het MoMA behoorlijk starstruck geweest van zijn werken. Ondanks de fascinatie voor zijn bekendste werken, heb ik me nooit verdiept in de mens Rothko. Met dit boek is er een wereld voor me open gegaan. Het gaat voorbij de werken en geeft echt duiding van zijn gehele levenspad.
February 27, 2018
Excellent quick study on Marcus Rothkowitz. A good selection of his works represented plus a brief overview of his life and influencers. Learned a lot without having to go into a large volume on the artist. If I want more, I can choose to find a more detailed volume.
Highly recommend for artists and non-artists.
Highly recommend for artists and non-artists.
February 8, 2017
A book is not read or considered solely within the confines of its own covers, in isolation from other books or from life in general. This is perhaps a commonplace, but it bears repeating nevertheless. In my case I read “Rothko” right after Thomas Merton’s autobiographical account of his becoming a Trappist monk, and not long after Atul Gawande’s “Being Mortal” and Carol Collier’s “Recovering the Body.” I have, in other words, been on a bimonth-long literary odyssey of death, life, body, soul, suffering, holiness, meaning and experience. So it does not feel purely serendipitous that it is just now that I finally take this closer look at Rothko’s work. On the contrary, it strikes me as fated that I would stumble over this Taschen book just now – in the bitter depths of a Canadian winter and after the other books mentioned.
The timing has in a sense primed me to read this book as a sort of prayer or meditation. In spite of its relative brevity (it sits at just over 90 pages, many of which consist of full-page reproductions of the artist’s paintings), it took me longer to finish than many a book of three or four times its length. I lingered over the illustrations, and found on not a few occasions that I was actually losing (finding?) myself in meditation before them; I mused over the artist’s wonderfully enigmatic and contrary statements about his own work, and over the incisive evaluations and descriptions of his colleagues and critics. Everything about Rothko’s work makes it such that it must be approached slowly, at the right time and in the right frame of mind. It isn’t fast-food art that can be gulped down on the way to something else. It has a presence that demands your full presence, too.
As many may know, I cannot generally be taken for an enthusiast of 20th-century –isms in art. I see the emperor’s new clothes in far too much of it. Not so with Rothko’s paintings. They are a contemplative’s best friend and have a surprising amount in common with the work of another favourite painter of mine, namely Il Beato Angelico. As it turns out, Rothko himself fell head over heals with Fra Angelico’s frescos on his first visit to San Marco in Florence, so one wonders whether this affinity becomes conscious and augmented following the visit to San Marco. At any rate, I confess to feeling rather proud of myself for sensing the semblance between the paintings of these two visual prophets, as uncanny as it is inexplicable, before knowing that Rothko had felt drawn to Fra Angelico's work.
The reading of this book has prompted two wish-list items, the first being to visit the Rothko Chapel and other places where his late canvases hang. Sadly, not a single Rothko is to be found at our own National Gallery here in Ottawa, so an in-person encounter will require heading further afield. Obviously I have seen Rothkos before – in New York, in London – but this is where the importance of “the right time” comes in. You cannot force the appreciation or enjoyment of a work of art. Readying oneself for a work can take almost a lifetime… The second wish-list item is a reproduction or two for a little piece of bruised heaven at home.
If I must present a small quibble it would be that the illustrations are not all presented strictly chronologically. Given Rothko’s distinct phases and the chronological nature of the text it is in some instances jarring to see, for example, one of the late, dark pictures near the beginning of the book next to a pastel sketch from an earlier period. But that is a very minor complaint. Overall, this is a lovely little book, one that will no doubt find itself taken from the shelf to be perused on many an evening to come.
The timing has in a sense primed me to read this book as a sort of prayer or meditation. In spite of its relative brevity (it sits at just over 90 pages, many of which consist of full-page reproductions of the artist’s paintings), it took me longer to finish than many a book of three or four times its length. I lingered over the illustrations, and found on not a few occasions that I was actually losing (finding?) myself in meditation before them; I mused over the artist’s wonderfully enigmatic and contrary statements about his own work, and over the incisive evaluations and descriptions of his colleagues and critics. Everything about Rothko’s work makes it such that it must be approached slowly, at the right time and in the right frame of mind. It isn’t fast-food art that can be gulped down on the way to something else. It has a presence that demands your full presence, too.
As many may know, I cannot generally be taken for an enthusiast of 20th-century –isms in art. I see the emperor’s new clothes in far too much of it. Not so with Rothko’s paintings. They are a contemplative’s best friend and have a surprising amount in common with the work of another favourite painter of mine, namely Il Beato Angelico. As it turns out, Rothko himself fell head over heals with Fra Angelico’s frescos on his first visit to San Marco in Florence, so one wonders whether this affinity becomes conscious and augmented following the visit to San Marco. At any rate, I confess to feeling rather proud of myself for sensing the semblance between the paintings of these two visual prophets, as uncanny as it is inexplicable, before knowing that Rothko had felt drawn to Fra Angelico's work.
The reading of this book has prompted two wish-list items, the first being to visit the Rothko Chapel and other places where his late canvases hang. Sadly, not a single Rothko is to be found at our own National Gallery here in Ottawa, so an in-person encounter will require heading further afield. Obviously I have seen Rothkos before – in New York, in London – but this is where the importance of “the right time” comes in. You cannot force the appreciation or enjoyment of a work of art. Readying oneself for a work can take almost a lifetime… The second wish-list item is a reproduction or two for a little piece of bruised heaven at home.
If I must present a small quibble it would be that the illustrations are not all presented strictly chronologically. Given Rothko’s distinct phases and the chronological nature of the text it is in some instances jarring to see, for example, one of the late, dark pictures near the beginning of the book next to a pastel sketch from an earlier period. But that is a very minor complaint. Overall, this is a lovely little book, one that will no doubt find itself taken from the shelf to be perused on many an evening to come.
March 27, 2019
bueno pero con la falla que separar al artista y su arte del contexto político, social y económico.
April 7, 2013
I really really like Rothko. The text itself is so-so, it seems to be rather random in its decisions of what to include and what to gloss over. A very basic introduction.
September 9, 2025
Existe generalizadamente entre os pintores a noção de que não importa o que se pinta, desde que esteja bem pintado. Isto é a essência do academismo. Não existe boa pintura acerca de coisa nenhuma. Afirmamos que o motivo é crucial e que apenas este conteúdo é válido e trágico e intemporal.
Não vou fingir que percebo muito de Rothko ou que sequer vi uma pintura dele que seja ao vivo. Não é o caso. Mas haverá que confessar que os contos que se espalham deste homem - deste prodígio que supostamente consegue, com meras manchas de cor, fazer homens crescidos chorar - não podia deixar de gerar alguma curiosidade. E este livro não fez mais senão aguçá-la. O conceito do Rothko maduro - obras em formato grande, que permitam que o espetador se emerja na pintura, o uso de grandes manchas de cor para veicular emoção pura, para falar da grande tragédia da experiência humana - atrai. Mas uma fotografia, todos parecem estar de acordo, não é sequer uma sombra da experiência de ver um Rothko ao vivo. Falta a peregrinação à Tate para ver alguns desses famosos quadros - e ver se Rothko merece afinal todo o hype que recebe.
How could he, with such a small number of variations, initiate discussions between picture and viewer as personal, direct and intimate as chamber music? How could he, with these few combinations in a palette of hot and cold, bright and dark, shiny and matte, rapturous and melancholy colours, call forth feelings that recreate the breadth, variety, drama, depth and panorama of the orchestral music he so utterly loved? Who can answer such questions? Only the pictures themselves - and each observer.
June 4, 2017
Given it's my first book of this series by the artbook publisher Taschen, I am a bit surprised by its brevity and its focus on biographical details. Plenty of large, or page-size panels are reproduced here to present readers an introduction to Rothko's painting but sometimes their arrangement and orders are not fitting as closely to the text as one might expect.
The text is an accessible biography with little effort interpreting his paintings. It can be read by any one interested in this painter without previous knowledge but I must say I am a bit disappointed that Rothko's shift in his painterly direction is not given more discussion.
The text is an accessible biography with little effort interpreting his paintings. It can be read by any one interested in this painter without previous knowledge but I must say I am a bit disappointed that Rothko's shift in his painterly direction is not given more discussion.
May 14, 2025
Een schilder die ik niet begreep en nog steeds niet begrijp. Rothko zelf weigerde uitleg te geven bij zijn schilderijen. Hij gebruikte hoogdravende woorden en benadrukte dat het werk in interactie met de toeschouwer tot leven moest komen. Er zijn mensen die diep ontroerd raken bij zijn werken( Thieu Hoeken vertelde mij dat de tranen in zijn ogen sprongen) maar ik zelf heb in de Tate Gallery voor een viertal doeken gestaan en ze maakten niet veel indruk op mij mij. Ook Jacob Baal is er niet in geslaagd een verhelderende blik te werpen op Rothko's oeuvre. Er zijn meer afbeeldingen dan anders in de volkskrantreeks en ook meer aandacht voor tentoonstellingen waar de werken te zien waren. Rothko was geobsedeerd door de lichtval en was een lastige exposant.
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September 29, 2024Cute Taschen-brand hardcover all about Rothko and his life. I bought this mostly to have as a reference for a project I was working on but I flip through it fondly these days. A year after I bought this book, I saw a Rothko in person for the first time at a museum somewhere in Europe and I stood there and cried.
March 26, 2019
The life and work of artist are presented.
I found the details of the artist's life / work fascinating, in particular I appreciated the fact that his early disappoints were glossed over. Many of the reproductions of his art were striking.
Reading time roughly one hour.
I found the details of the artist's life / work fascinating, in particular I appreciated the fact that his early disappoints were glossed over. Many of the reproductions of his art were striking.
Reading time roughly one hour.
September 8, 2020
Great read on an great artist. I enjoyed this short summary of Rothko's life and the illustrations are excellent. A boost to the reading was listening to the album Rothko Chapel of Kim Kashkasian et al which contains Morton Feldmans musical composition inspired by the Rothko Chapel in Houston.
May 25, 2024
Claiming there is any meaning in these paintings is akin to calling a painted wall a work of art. Even if the paintings hold some deeper significance, they fundamentally remain dreadfully bad: just look at them.
December 23, 2019
Comprehensive and with enough details to give me an overview of Mark Rothko and his work; which I love. (Let's see how writing an essay on him will affect that...lol)
February 17, 2021
A quick Mark Rothko Autobiography. My life would've been easier if I could sell a painting of a rectangle for tens of thousands of dollars. 🤣
July 24, 2021
Bold - brilliant - atmospheric!
September 28, 2022
Actually quite a good art book. Contains a really good history of Rothko's life and has many pretty pictures i liked it a lot just to look at them. :)
March 25, 2024
Geeft op een duidelijke manier het levensverhaal en oeuvre van kunstenaar weer
April 26, 2025
Learned a lot. Still don’t understand a lot.
October 5, 2024
In Rothko, Jacob Baal-Teshuva crafts a compelling and deeply researched exploration of one of the 20th century's most enigmatic and influential abstract painters, Mark Rothko. Through a combination of biographical insight, critical analysis, and careful curation of Rothko’s works, Baal-Teshuva’s book transcends the typical confines of an art monograph, positioning itself as a profound reflection on the relationship between art, emotion, and the human condition.
What makes Rothko stand out as a work of scholarship is Baal-Teshuva’s ability to contextualize the painter’s evolving style within both the broader art historical framework and the psychological intricacies of Rothko himself. Readers are not merely introduced to the well-known phases of his career—such as his early figurative works or his signature color field paintings—but also the philosophical and emotional turmoil that underpinned his creative process.
The book expertly balances personal biography with art critique. Baal-Teshuva delves into Rothko’s Russian-Jewish immigrant background and the intellectual ferment of mid-century New York, which shaped his ideals and sharpened his existential concerns. Rothko’s engagement with Nietzschean philosophy, particularly the tension between the Apollonian and Dionysian forces, is highlighted as a key thematic undercurrent of his work. This connection illuminates Rothko’s obsession with transcending mere representation in favor of what he called “the tragic and timeless” nature of pure form and color.
Baal-Teshuva’s treatment of Rothko’s artistic development is equally meticulous. From the surrealist influences in his earlier years to the monumental, meditative color fields that defined his later work, each chapter reveals how Rothko’s technical refinements aligned with his philosophical quest for a more direct, visceral engagement with the viewer. The author convincingly argues that Rothko’s towering blocks of color were not abstract for abstraction’s sake, but rather spiritual landscapes, evoking the depths of human emotion—grief, ecstasy, despair—without the need for literal narrative.
What is particularly effective is Baal-Teshuva’s use of Rothko’s own words, interwoven throughout the text, which allows the reader to witness the artist’s own vision and frustrations. His statement, “I am interested only in expressing basic human emotions—tragedy, ecstasy, doom, and so on—and the fact that people break down and cry when confronted with my pictures shows that I communicate those basic human emotions,” becomes a central thesis of the book. Baal-Teshuva unpacks how this emotional resonance was precisely the core of Rothko’s contribution to Abstract Expressionism, yet was also what set him apart from his contemporaries like Pollock and de Kooning, who were more preoccupied with the act of painting itself.
Visually, the book is a stunning homage to Rothko’s oeuvre. Full-color reproductions of his most significant works are accompanied by close-up details, which allow the reader to appreciate the subtleties of texture, brushwork, and the delicate interplay of hue and saturation that make Rothko’s canvases so alive. The placement of these images beside analytical commentary encourages an immersive experience, making it possible for readers to viscerally sense the spatial and emotional depth that Rothko aimed to achieve.
However, the book does not shy away from the darker elements of Rothko’s story. Baal-Teshuva deftly addresses the artist’s growing sense of isolation, his disillusionment with the commodification of art, and his tragic suicide in 1970. This somber conclusion frames Rothko’s body of work in a poignant light, as both a testament to his artistic genius and a reflection of the inescapable personal struggles that colored his life.
Rothko by Jacob Baal-Teshuva is not merely an art historical text; it is a meditation on the power of color and form to speak to the deepest layers of the human soul. For readers who are well-versed in art criticism, the book provides rich, nuanced insights into Rothko’s legacy. For newcomers to Rothko’s work, Baal-Teshuva offers a lucid guide to understanding why these seemingly simple compositions continue to evoke such profound emotional responses. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the intersections of art, emotion, and the search for meaning in modern life.
What makes Rothko stand out as a work of scholarship is Baal-Teshuva’s ability to contextualize the painter’s evolving style within both the broader art historical framework and the psychological intricacies of Rothko himself. Readers are not merely introduced to the well-known phases of his career—such as his early figurative works or his signature color field paintings—but also the philosophical and emotional turmoil that underpinned his creative process.
The book expertly balances personal biography with art critique. Baal-Teshuva delves into Rothko’s Russian-Jewish immigrant background and the intellectual ferment of mid-century New York, which shaped his ideals and sharpened his existential concerns. Rothko’s engagement with Nietzschean philosophy, particularly the tension between the Apollonian and Dionysian forces, is highlighted as a key thematic undercurrent of his work. This connection illuminates Rothko’s obsession with transcending mere representation in favor of what he called “the tragic and timeless” nature of pure form and color.
Baal-Teshuva’s treatment of Rothko’s artistic development is equally meticulous. From the surrealist influences in his earlier years to the monumental, meditative color fields that defined his later work, each chapter reveals how Rothko’s technical refinements aligned with his philosophical quest for a more direct, visceral engagement with the viewer. The author convincingly argues that Rothko’s towering blocks of color were not abstract for abstraction’s sake, but rather spiritual landscapes, evoking the depths of human emotion—grief, ecstasy, despair—without the need for literal narrative.
What is particularly effective is Baal-Teshuva’s use of Rothko’s own words, interwoven throughout the text, which allows the reader to witness the artist’s own vision and frustrations. His statement, “I am interested only in expressing basic human emotions—tragedy, ecstasy, doom, and so on—and the fact that people break down and cry when confronted with my pictures shows that I communicate those basic human emotions,” becomes a central thesis of the book. Baal-Teshuva unpacks how this emotional resonance was precisely the core of Rothko’s contribution to Abstract Expressionism, yet was also what set him apart from his contemporaries like Pollock and de Kooning, who were more preoccupied with the act of painting itself.
Visually, the book is a stunning homage to Rothko’s oeuvre. Full-color reproductions of his most significant works are accompanied by close-up details, which allow the reader to appreciate the subtleties of texture, brushwork, and the delicate interplay of hue and saturation that make Rothko’s canvases so alive. The placement of these images beside analytical commentary encourages an immersive experience, making it possible for readers to viscerally sense the spatial and emotional depth that Rothko aimed to achieve.
However, the book does not shy away from the darker elements of Rothko’s story. Baal-Teshuva deftly addresses the artist’s growing sense of isolation, his disillusionment with the commodification of art, and his tragic suicide in 1970. This somber conclusion frames Rothko’s body of work in a poignant light, as both a testament to his artistic genius and a reflection of the inescapable personal struggles that colored his life.
Rothko by Jacob Baal-Teshuva is not merely an art historical text; it is a meditation on the power of color and form to speak to the deepest layers of the human soul. For readers who are well-versed in art criticism, the book provides rich, nuanced insights into Rothko’s legacy. For newcomers to Rothko’s work, Baal-Teshuva offers a lucid guide to understanding why these seemingly simple compositions continue to evoke such profound emotional responses. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the intersections of art, emotion, and the search for meaning in modern life.
January 20, 2025
Jacob Baal-Teshuva’s Mark Rothko biedt een helder en visueel rijk overzicht van het werk en leven van een van de meest invloedrijke abstracte kunstenaars. Bijzonder intrigerend is de bespreking van de Rothko Kapel, een ruimte waar Rothko’s diepgaande schilderijen samensmelten met spiritualiteit en meditatie. De kapel, met haar ingetogen kleuren en bijna sacrale sfeer, nodigt uit tot introspectie en stilte, een ervaring die Baal-Teshuva treffend weet te beschrijven.
Hoewel het boek sterk is in het schetsen van Rothko’s artistieke visie, mist het soms een kritische blik. De auteur idealiseert Rothko’s intenties, maar gaat nauwelijks in op hoe toegankelijk zijn werk werkelijk is voor een breed publiek.
Desondanks is Mark Rothko een inspirerend boek dat kunstliefhebbers en zoekers naar contemplatie veel te bieden heeft.
Hoewel het boek sterk is in het schetsen van Rothko’s artistieke visie, mist het soms een kritische blik. De auteur idealiseert Rothko’s intenties, maar gaat nauwelijks in op hoe toegankelijk zijn werk werkelijk is voor een breed publiek.
Desondanks is Mark Rothko een inspirerend boek dat kunstliefhebbers en zoekers naar contemplatie veel te bieden heeft.
November 29, 2016
This is a solid, basic introduction, nicely covering pretty much all I need to know about Rothko's life. My main interest is in the works themselves, in the emotional charge that interacting with them strikes. I've greatly enjoyed the many fine reproductions of Rothko's paintings presented here and expect to return to them often. I'm fortunate to live in DC, where several museums have examples of his art, particularly the Phillips Collection with its electrifying Rothko Room.
Rothko comes across as a driven and demanding man, capable only of intermittent happiness. Though mentioned only briefly here, his daughter Kate seems like a remarkable woman. After her father's suicide when she was just 19, she intervened on behalf of her brother Christopher, who had been adopted into a harsh family. Then she initiated what was to be a long but successful legal action against the disreputable people who were plundering her father's estate. Read more about her here: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddes...
Rothko comes across as a driven and demanding man, capable only of intermittent happiness. Though mentioned only briefly here, his daughter Kate seems like a remarkable woman. After her father's suicide when she was just 19, she intervened on behalf of her brother Christopher, who had been adopted into a harsh family. Then she initiated what was to be a long but successful legal action against the disreputable people who were plundering her father's estate. Read more about her here: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddes...
January 14, 2009
This book did what it set out to do -- provided a perfectly adequate biography of Mark Rothko that was accessible to someone who didn't know much about art.
The text was very straightforward and provided enough information without going over my head. I imagine an art student would find it very dull, and the book did little to explain Rothko's work itself, trying instead to tell the story of the man; however, that was fine with me as too much in-depth explanation of the work would have gone over my head. Plus it seems as though Rothko had specific guidelines for the way his art should be seen ... and I doubt that was minaturised in the harsh pages of a book. However, I do now feel as though I have enough information on the artist to view his work in person with at least a smattering of background information on him.
I was particularly interested to read about the work he did with the DeMenil's in Houston, which he seemed to consider to be the culmination of his career.
The text was very straightforward and provided enough information without going over my head. I imagine an art student would find it very dull, and the book did little to explain Rothko's work itself, trying instead to tell the story of the man; however, that was fine with me as too much in-depth explanation of the work would have gone over my head. Plus it seems as though Rothko had specific guidelines for the way his art should be seen ... and I doubt that was minaturised in the harsh pages of a book. However, I do now feel as though I have enough information on the artist to view his work in person with at least a smattering of background information on him.
I was particularly interested to read about the work he did with the DeMenil's in Houston, which he seemed to consider to be the culmination of his career.
May 15, 2022
I tend to judge American Abstract Expressionists —or almost any other artists, to be honest— just by how graphically appealing their works are to me, no matter what there is behind them. This book helped me see through the first impression and dive into the artist's motivations and fears. It follows his steps from his native Dvinsk, Russia —but today part of Latvia— to the city of Portland, with his family, and then New York on his own.
* Taschen Basic Art Series (2.0 in its latest reincarnation) is an inexpensive yet excellent collection covering the most famous artists of all time.
* Taschen Basic Art Series (2.0 in its latest reincarnation) is an inexpensive yet excellent collection covering the most famous artists of all time.
June 5, 2008
Rothko is one of the most important painters ever, and is especially important because he had a great aesthetic awareness. The painted work is not an image but always is a sensation and even when he fully went into color fields he did not identify his work as such, the color was a mere medium, almost like a gateway (which explains why Rothko preferred his works to be hung low to the floor) through which a person can directly come to experience the great tragedy of being.
July 12, 2011
this book is a very, very brief introduction to rothko's life and work. the author spent a lot of time (relatively) talking about rothko's interest in nietzsche's 'the birth of tragedy.' a decent book--although i think if i were to purchase a book about rothko i would skip this little one and get the one with the intro by his son instead.
May 7, 2014
A good, brief introductory level text into the life and works of Mark Rothko. An excellent first book to read on the subject. Would probably add little to a more knowledgeable reader. For me it was a good balance between text and reproductions of Mark Rothko's pictures. I come away knowing and appreciating more than when I started.
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