Untitled 1948

Mark Rothko made this oil on canvas, with layers of color forming a somewhat unsettling, yet still calm, composition. There’s a kind of struggle happening, right? Red, blue, and white shapes push and pull against each other, never quite settling into a definite form. I bet Rothko was thinking hard, maybe wrestling with some big feelings when he made this. There’s a softness to the edges, almost like the colors are breathing into each other. The paint isn’t too thick, but it’s definitely there, giving the surface a subtle texture that invites you closer. That dark blob near the top is interesting; it disrupts the flow and adds a bit of tension. Rothko's known for these kinds of color fields, where the boundaries blur, and feelings take over. Like he was having a conversation with other painters through time. It’s a reminder that painting is about asking questions more than giving answers.