Mark Rothko

Last night, May 15, 2007, Sotheby's had their Contemporary Art Evening Auction. The star of the show was the beautiful piece shown above. It is known as White Center (Yellow, Pink, and Lavender on Rose) by Mark Rothko. It sold for a record breaking $72,840,000.

Many people have asked me what makes this piece so important? And is it worth all that money? I leave the latter question alone, but I will attempt to convey some of the history and importance regarding this piece of work.

In short, this piece was painted in 1950 and is largely regarded as the first "fully-resolved" piece of Rothko's vision that would become his signature style. If one looks at the paintings by Rothko before this time, one will find a much more calligraphic and representative/pictorial style. As David Anfam puts it, "Certainly, White Center's dazzling amplitude and finesse invite an otherwise overused label-the appellation of masterpiece. In short, its commanding scale, sumptuousness and sheer intensity bespeak a modern master in the first full flush of his mature creativity. As such, White Center is also a summation." We should remember that visions and concepts such as this do not come overnight. It is a culmination of Rothko's evolution from 1924 and reflects the influence of Bonnard, Matisse, and Mondrian.

Outside of the painting, there are also some notable points. The provenance of this painting reads as follows: Sidney Janis Gallery (New York), Eliza Bliss Parkinson (Niece of one of the founders of MOMA, New York, before 1960), Sidney Janis Gallery (New York, 1960), David Rockefeller (New York, June 1960). On the advice of Dorothy C. Miller, one of MOMA's most well-known curators and champion for upcoming American contemporary art, Rockefeller purchased the piece for $10,000. [Inflation calculator from the previous post puts it at $66k today.] It was Rockefeller's first abstract work.