Mark Rothko

Mark Rothko (Markus Yakovlevich Rothkowitz; 1903 – 1970) was a Latvian painter associated with the Abstract Expressionism movement, who fled to the USA with his family as a child. He was a prominent member of a group of artists that came to be known as the New York School of Abstract Expressionism, alongside artists such as Willem de Kooning and Jackson Pollock. Rothko's work is renowned for its large-scale colour field paintings, which feature luminous blocks of colour that appear to float on the canvas. His technique involved layering thin washes of oil paint to create subtle variations in colour and texture. Rothko's minimalist approach and focus on colour and emotion made him a central figure in 20th-century abstract art, influencing generations of artists and redefining the possibilities of painting.