The Rothko Chapel

Mark Rothko is one of the most prominent American painters of the twentieth century. Although he is considered by art historians to be associated with the Abstract Expressionist movement, Rothko himself denied this. Born in 1903 in Russia, he migrated to the United States with his family when he was just ten years old. He had an interest in art as he advanced in his schooling, and after leaving Yale after two years he began his career as an artist in New York City. During his early years as a painter he painted portraits, aquarelles, and urban scenes, but gradually his focus in painting shifted to its most elemental component—color.

Rothko’s most famous paintings came as a result of this shift in focus. His paintings of large rectangles floating in fields of color led to the Color Field movement of the 1960s. His earlier works featured shades of bright yellow, red, and orange. Later paintings featured darker colors, such as black and deep purple. It was during this phase of more somber paintings that Rothko was commissioned to paint several large murals for what has come to be called the “Rothko Chapel” outside of Houston, Texas. The paintings were done in his studio in New York, and were installed in the chapel in 1971 just prior to its dedication. Unfortunately, Rothko’s suicide earlier in the year prevented him from being present at the ceremony.

For Rothko, the chapel was meant to be a place of pilgrimage for those wishing to get away from the center of art in New York. Upon entering the chapel, one is surrounded by Rothko’s paintings—triptychs of soft brown, and rectangles of deep black. His belief in the transcendentalism of art is apparent in every direction. Thousands of visitors walk through the chapel every year, experiencing this same transcendent feeling. If I ever find myself in the Houston area, I plan on making a visit to this religious masterpiece. Like Rothko, I cannot deny the divine power and inspiration associated with great art.

Sources: rothkochapel.org; Wikipedia, "Mark Rothko" & "Rothko Chapel"