Untitled c. 1946

Here we have an untitled piece by Mark Rothko on paper, with no firm date attached to it, it’s a symphony of tentative brushstrokes and diluted colours. There's a real sense of Rothko feeling his way through the process, and it’s not clear exactly what with. The paint is so thin and washy in places, it is almost like looking at a watercolor. The paper shows through in many areas, grounding it in its own materiality. The pinks and greys are not quite opaque, with vertical marks like rain. The horizontal blue strokes at the centre pull you to a focal point, as do the opposing black and white pillars above. It is interesting how in Rothko's work there is always a tension between something very considered and something very open to the moment. Maybe this is what makes his work so compelling. It echoes Helen Frankenthaler’s soak-stain method, though Rothko, of course, carves his own distinct path. It's a beautiful thing to witness art history's ongoing conversation.