The first major Rothko exhibition in Scandinavia

Mark Rothko will open in just under a month, on May 16, at the National Museum in Oslo, Norway. Paintings on Paper, the monograph entirely dedicated to the works on paper of the famous American painter of Latvian origins. Organized in collaboration with the National Gallery of Art in Washington, the exhibition represents the first major exhibition of Mark Rothko’s works ever organized across Scandinavia, and offers an in-depth view of his art while revealing a lesser-known but equally relevant side. The selection of works, in fact, testifies to how the artist wanted to experiment with the use of different formats and materials throughout his career, always with the aim of expressing essential human emotions such as tragedy, ecstasy and destiny. INNOVATION AND INTROSPECTION IN ROTHKOR’S WORKS ON PAPER Tracing four key periods of Rothko’s career, during which painting on paper played a crucial role in the search for a personal artistic voice, the exhibition highlights the versatility of the American painter, whose works have always challenged convention, ranging from landscapes and portraits to surrealist projects, to his signature rectangular color fields. Although he had always used paper as a support for his works, so much so that he left over a thousand works created on this material, it was from 1968 that Rothko, after a heart attack, was encouraged to work above all with less demanding formats. The paintings of this last period are characterized by black, brown and gray tones, often interpreted as a reflection of his unstable health conditions, but there is no shortage of lively works, with brighter shades, testifying to an extraordinary and complex period of his career. OVER 80 PAINTINGS BY ROTHKO IN OSLO Flanked by a series of parallel initiatives aimed at offering the public a broader perspective on Rothko’s artistic legacy, including an exclusive meeting with the artist’s son, Christopher, the Oslo exhibition highlights once again the importance of the informal art of the great American painter. Open until September 22nd, Mark Rothko. Paintings on Paper will therefore be able to offer a deeper understanding of his work and, by placing the emphasis on paintings made on paper, will invite visitors to discover a lesser-known side of the artistic production of one of the most important painters of the last century.[Immagine in apertura: Mark Rothko, Untitled, 1969, National Gallery of Art, Washington, Gift of The Mark Rothko Foundation, Inc., 1986.43.275 © 2023 Kate Rothko Prizel & Christopher Rothko / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / BONO. License: Media Use. Copyright: Mark Rothko, Untitled, 1969, National Gallery of Art, Washington, Gift of The Mark Rothko Foundation, Inc., 1986.43.275 © 2023]