Mark Rothko (), born Markus Yakovlevich Rothkowitz, was an American abstract painter of Latvian Jewish descent. He is best known for his color field paintings that depicted irregular and painterly rectangular regions of color, which he produced from 1949 to 1970.
Although Rothko did not personally subscribe to any one school, he is associated with the American Abstract Expressionist movement of modern art. Originally emigrating to Portland, Oregon from Russia with his family, Rothko later moved to New York City where his youthful period of artistic production dealt primarily with urban scenery. In response to World War II, Rothko's art entered a transitional phase during the 1940s, where he experimented with mythological themes and Surrealism to express tragedy. Toward the end of the decade Rothko painted canvases with regions of pure color which he further abstracted into rectangular color forms, the idiom he would use for the rest of his life.
In his later career, Rothko executed several canvases for three different mural projects. The Seagram murals were to have decorated the Four Seasons Restaurant in the Seagram Building, but Rothko eventually grew disgusted with the idea that his paintings would be decorative objects for wealthy diners and refunded the lucrative commission, donating the paintings to museums including the Tate Modern. The Harvard Mural series was gifted to a dining room in Harvard's Holyoke Center (now Smith Campus Center); their colors faded badly over time due to Rothko's use of the pigment Lithol Red together with regular sunlight exposure. The Harvard series has since been restored using a special lighting technique. Rothko contributed 14 canvases to a permanent installation at the Rothko Chapel, a non-denominational chapel in Houston, Texas.
Although Rothko lived modestly for much of his life, the resale value of his paintings grew tremendously in the decades following his suicide in 1970.
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Some of their strengths
Mark Rothko has many admirable traits.
Based on spiritual traditions from around the world, they are someone who can be described as Honest, Artistic, Intuitive, Self-reliant, Energetic, Peaceful, and Outspoken.
Smart and Sophisticated
According to Mysticism’s Astrology tradition, Mark Rothko is someone who is a smart, sophisticated, and organized person who displays kindness and grace in every day interactions, and who also has a passionate soul. A person who defines themself by their friends and what groups they belong to.
Soulful and Intuitive
Based on Daoism’s Ba-Zi or ‘Chinese Zodiac’ tradition, people who know Mark Rothko well know them as someone who can be graceful, romantic, and reserved, like gentle rain.
Ambitious and Forceful
According to Hinduism’s Jyotisha or ‘Vedic Astrology’ tradition, many would also describe Mark Rothko as someone who is ambitious, hard-working, determined, and intelligent.
A person who has a knack for identifying opportunities, has amazing concentration and focus, who can work independently, who likes starting new things, and who is somewhat of an intellectual.
Social and Intuitive
Based on the Mayan Tzolk’in or ‘Mayan Astrology’ tradition, Mark Rothko is someone who values forming deep friendships and relationships, and who has strong intuition and reasoning skills .
They are also someone who is confident and creative, and who has a love for starting new projects, inventing new things, and giving back to the community.
Altruistic and Purposeful
According to Judaism’s Kabbalah tradition, Mark Rothko tends to be someone who has a desire to be of service to a higher calling and who is always trying to perfect things. Who can be practical and polished, reserved and methodical, and who tends to trust internal judgment before trusting anyone else at face value.
Some of Mark Rothko's challenges
While Mark Rothko has many strengths, nobody is perfect. They also have some challenging traits they need to manage.
For example, Mark Rothko can be Difficult, Perfectionist, Stubborn, Idle, Complicated, Brusque, and Relentless.
Difficult and Perfectionist
One of Mark Rothko's key challenges is that they are someone who can be difficult and too much of a perfectionist.
Mark Rothko must also exercise caution as they can be excessive and unrealistic.
Relentless and Inflexible
Mark Rothko is someone who can be relentless, obsessive, and inflexible, who can be confrontational with work colleagues, can have difficulty communicating feelings and be somewhat reclusive, and who can be self-destructive, overindulgent, and extravagant.
Critical and Bossy
Finally, Mark Rothko also can be too focused on the small details of life, try to control whatever is happening, and be finicky and demanding.
