Olympian Play 1943 - 1944

Mark Rothko created this painting, Olympian Play, using oil on canvas. Look closely, and you will notice how Rothko has diluted the paint, almost staining the canvas, rather than applying it thickly. The light washes create a sense of depth and layering. The open weave of the canvas itself becomes part of the image, giving a raw, unfinished quality. Rothko exploits the absorbent nature of the canvas, allowing the colors to merge and bleed into one another. This staining technique was gaining traction with abstract artists at this time. The ethereal quality of the painting is really reliant on the materiality. Rothko thinned his paints to achieve a translucent effect. He built up layers of color, one over another, to generate luminosity from within. Rothko's process was as much about subtraction, washing away, as it was about addition, building up. So, to truly appreciate this work, consider the artistic processes and the artist's deep understanding of materials.