Portrait of a Man, Head Turned Slightly to Left 

Mark Rothko painted this portrait in the first half of the twentieth century, using watercolor on paper. The washes of color are built up, layer upon layer, to create a translucent effect. You can see the way that Rothko allowed the inherent qualities of the watercolor medium to determine the image's appearance. The texture, weight, color, and form seem to emerge from the interaction between the artist's hand and the flow of the paint. In its original context, watercolor painting was often seen as a lesser art, suited for sketching and informal likenesses, rather than the grand statements of oil painting. Rothko's choice of this material, and his somewhat loose handling of it, sets him apart from academic portraiture. It is an important reminder that the meaning of an artwork depends as much on its materials and making as its subject matter.