Fantasy at Dawn [reverse] 1947

Mark Rothko made Fantasy at Dawn [reverse] with oil on canvas, and looking at it, it’s clear that painting, for him, was all about the process. The way he layers color and shapes, it’s like he’s thinking through the paint. Up close, you can really see the physicality of the medium. Some areas are thick with paint, almost sculptural, while others are thin, transparent washes. In the centre, there’s this creamy patch of yellow with a soft vertical line. It’s almost like a light shining through a cloud. I love how Rothko lets the paint do its thing, not trying to control it too much, which creates these unexpected textures and effects. Rothko’s all about ambiguity, and this piece totally embodies that. If you look at his later works, you can see how he was always pushing the boundaries of color and form. It reminds me a little of Cy Twombly, in that he makes marks that feel both spontaneous and deeply considered.