Abstract Composition in Black, Gray, Pink, Blue, and Green [verso] c. 1944

This is an abstract composition in black, gray, pink, blue, and green by Mark Rothko. Looking at these watercolor washes, I imagine Rothko leaning over this small sheet, pushing the paint around intuitively, maybe even unconsciously. I see him, brush in hand, coaxing these shapes into being. It feels like he’s searching, right? What was he thinking as he layered these colors, one over the other? The blacks and grays seem to anchor the composition, while those fleeting touches of pink, blue, and green offer a glimpse of something more ephemeral. I feel like this work is a dialogue between shadow and light, presence and absence, that sense of something about to emerge. It makes me think about other painters, too, like Joan Mitchell or even Helen Frankenthaler, all pushing the boundaries of color and form. It's like they’re all speaking different languages within the same conversation, each one inspiring the next. It’s a reminder that painting is an embodied practice, a way of thinking and feeling through the material. And for me, it’s never about answers, but always about the questions.