No. 16 (Red, White, and Brown) 1957

Mark Rothko created No. 16 (Red, White, and Brown) using oil on canvas; a large-scale painting where fields of colour evoke a meditative experience. The painting features a vertical arrangement of three rectangles: a brown bar hovers over a larger field of red, while a white rectangle sits at the bottom. Look closely and you’ll see that the edges of the rectangles are soft and blurred. Rothko thins the oil paint, applying it in layers to create luminous, atmospheric effects. This invites us to consider the pictorial space not as a window onto the world, but as an immersive environment. The simplicity of form allows for a focus on colour and its emotional impact, engaging with existential themes of human condition. The scale of the painting engulfs the viewer, blurring the boundaries between the artwork and the self. Rothko challenges the traditional role of painting, inviting us to contemplate the sublime, and the artwork’s capacity to create experiences that transcend rational understanding.