Untitled (Seagram Mural sketch) 1959

Editor: Here we have Mark Rothko’s “Untitled (Seagram Mural sketch),” painted in 1959 using oil. It’s dominated by shades of red and maroon, evoking a sense of contained passion or perhaps even suppressed anger. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The blocks of color carry an interesting symbolic weight. This color palette often suggests sacrifice and transformation. Consider, though: in other contexts, wouldn’t those tones suggest earth, blood, even hearth and home? Do you think Rothko intended such ambiguity? Editor: That’s a great question! It’s hard to know for sure. So much of Rothko's work relies on this emotional response to color, right? The hues also bring to my mind fire and destruction… a world-ending event almost! Curator: Indeed. But remember, these were mural sketches, envisioned for a very specific setting. Can you picture these colours against the backdrop of a luxurious restaurant? Editor: It does complicate the reading, right? Thinking about power, wealth, and, in particular, *taste*. This space would demand that his paintings embody specific concepts and imagery tied to elitist societal desires. Curator: Precisely. How might that awareness shape our interpretation of these seemingly abstract shapes, now? Editor: Well, perhaps Rothko was commenting on that tension: raw emotion confined within the boundaries of upper-class aesthetics. That’s so interesting to consider when facing what feels like an unreadable canvas. Curator: Yes, and in this light we realize these images echo a feeling beyond themselves. I appreciate you prompting that realization! Editor: I'm glad to have considered such powerful symbols in this composition today.