Abstract Composition in Blue, Green, Black, and Brown c. 1944

Mark Rothko made this abstract composition in blue, green, black, and brown, but we're unsure exactly when or with what. The delicate washes of color create a luminous field, but it's the marks that really grab me. Rothko’s lines have a searching quality, like he’s feeling his way around the canvas. There’s this one looping swirl of black near the center that seems to anchor the whole composition. It reminds me of a question mark, hovering in the air. The texture is smooth and it feels like the paint is transparent. You can see the layers beneath, like looking through different dimensions. He might have used a brush or maybe even a rag, and dragged across the surface with a light touch. Thinking about Rothko, I am reminded of Joan Miró. Both artists were masters of ambiguity, inviting us to lose ourselves in a world of endless possibilities.