Rites of Lilith 1945

Mark Rothko's 'Rites of Lilith' is an early painting composed of layered translucent hues and loosely defined shapes. I imagine Rothko wrestling with form and meaning, searching for a language that could capture something beyond the visible world. I feel like he’s inviting us into his studio, into his process, and into the intimate act of painting itself. You can almost see him building up the image, adding lines and blocks of color, then scraping them away, only to rework them again and again, searching for a language that could capture something beyond the visible world. Look at the delicate lines that trace the contours of the forms – they are not quite figures, not quite landscapes, but something in between, hovering between representation and abstraction. Rothko’s 'Rites of Lilith' is part of a much larger, ongoing conversation between artists across time. Each mark builds upon the past and informs the future. Paintings like this one are an ongoing exploration of feeling, of seeing, and of being.