Untitled (brown and gray) 1969

This painting in brown and gray, one of Rothko's so-called 'multiforms,' is made with oil paint. Look at the top section, how the brushstrokes seem to be heading in different directions. You can almost feel Rothko’s hand moving across the canvas. Up close, you can see the texture of the paint, thick in some areas and thin in others. Rothko’s choice of color is also interesting here – the somber browns and grays create a sense of depth and complexity. I love the contrast between the darker top section and the lighter bottom section. It's like two different worlds colliding on the canvas. Notice how the paint is applied in layers, almost like he was building up the colors over time. This piece reminds me a little bit of Ad Reinhardt’s black paintings, in the sense that both artists were pushing the limits of what painting could be, and embracing ambiguity. With Rothko, it’s less about a fixed image and more about a feeling, an atmosphere, that lingers long after you’ve walked away.