Street Scene 1937

This 'Street Scene’ was painted by Mark Rothko, though we don’t know exactly when. Look at that warm but limited palette— browns and grays. I wonder what it was like to stand in front of that canvas, Rothko's arm moving, building the scene. There's a tension here, isn’t there? On the one hand, it’s figurative, with the artist suggesting the human form within an urban context. On the other hand, Rothko's mark-making feels so free and expressive, almost edging towards abstraction. He’s figuring out how to represent the world, one brushstroke at a time. I'm drawn to the figures ascending the stairs, they appear almost ghostlike, fading into the stone. What were they thinking? Where were they going? It’s interesting to see this piece alongside Rothko's better-known abstract works; I imagine him in conversation with other artists across time, all trying to capture something true about experience. And in this painting, you can see the origins of what would become his signature style, embracing ambiguity, allowing us to bring our own stories and feelings to the canvas.