Great Art Explained

Season 1, Episode 10: Mark Rothko's Seagram Murals

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On the 25th February 1970, the Tate gallery in London received nine Mark Rothko canvasses, a generous donation from the artist himself. A few hours later, Rothko was found dead in his studio on East 69th Street in Manhattan. The 66-year-old painter had taken his own life. His suicide would change everything and shape the way we respond to his work. Rothko was aware that people often burst into tears when confronted with his painting. “I’m interested only in expressing basic human emotions, tragedy, ecstasy, doom and so on” he said.