Untitled

Untitled

Mark Rothko

1961

oil

From the collection of Museum of Modern Art

About this work

This painting shows three wide stripes of color. The top is a pale, almost white band with a fuzzy, uneven edge. Below it, a thick black stripe sits in the middle, and the bottom is a dark brown or black. The colors feel heavy and solid, with no clear shapes or details inside them. The brushstrokes are thick and textured, especially in the white stripe. This technique is called *impasto*, where paint is laid on thick so you can almost feel the strokes. Look up impasto next to see how other artists used this bold, tactile style.

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