Too often an artist becomes synonymous with that thing that cements their status, leaving a one-sided glimpse into an evolving career. For Mark Rothko (1903–1970), his expressive color field paintings, towering in presence and moodily centered in pure washes of color, have come to define him.
A new show at the National Gallery of Art, “Mark Rothko: Paintings on Paper” (November 19, 2023–March 31, 2024), relishes his mature work from the last two decades of his career and also presents these as one chapter in a lifetime as a painter. With over 100 works on view, the exhibition showcases the NGA’s decades-long project to catalogue the artist’s works on paper. An online resource (rothko.nga.gov) and a forthcoming catalogue raisonné document almost 2,600 known works by the artist. Both will provide scholars and enthusiasts alike with unprecedented access to view and better understand the artist’s oeuvre.
Museums and collectors often dismiss the value of works on paper. The term signals planning, and precedence is placed on the work that follows, typically on panel. Ephemeral by nature,
