Four Darks in Red
1958
A monumental Color Field painting featuring Rothko's signature stacked rectangular forms in vibrant oranges, deep purples, navy blue, and green. Currently part of the Whitney Museum collection, this work was directly inspired by Rothko's 1950 visit to Pompeii with his wife Mell. The painting exemplifies Rothko's mature style from 1958, created during the pivotal period just before the Seagram Murals commission. The work is currently on view at Palazzo Strozzi's major Rothko exhibition in Florence, Italy, displayed in dialogue with Renaissance architecture.
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Spotted At
- Museum · Palazzo Strozzi
Notes
Currently on view at Palazzo Strozzi's Rothko exhibition in Florence, Italy. The exhibition celebrates Rothko's bond with Florence and includes approximately 70 works, with studies and sketches for the Harvard and Seagram Murals displayed in dialogue with Renaissance architecture. According to Christopher Rothko, this painting was directly inspired by Pompeii. Rothko first visited Florence in 1950 where he encountered Michelangelo's architectural designs at the Laurentian Library, which became the main inspiration for the Seagram Murals.
Spotted works by Mark Rothko
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