The next stage of his work is marked by the liberation of his use of the figure in a surrealistic period during which he painted abstract geometric shapes, resembling Miró’s compositions, and made use of the machinery of Dada painters. This progression culminated in the dissolution of the figures into stains of colour: the human drama in this work transcends mere visual representation to become an introspective journey, accessible to all who encounter Rothko’s paintings.

As we walk through the exhibition, each painting serves as a portal. The curatorial team facilitates the immersive experience by directing spotlights onto individual canvases, casting a quasi magical aura around them, as if light emanated from the paintings themselves. This ethereal quality is inherent in Rothko’s process, which is highly characteristic of his artistic language and has influenced numerous other artists. Rothko employed a technique of layering zone upon zone with thinly applied oil paint to create a translucent effect that allows viewers to see through the layers. By blending the edges into the background, he generated hues within hues, creating the impression that these colours are gradually emerging from the depths of the canvas.

The artist is known primarily for his canvases with blocks of colours and cloudy edges and his ability to evoke emotional responses and invite meditative contemplation, however, he never intended his paintings to be peaceful and consoling. Rothko is a painter of suffering. Affected by migration and the violence of war, Rothko, like many of his generation, produced work that reflects disillusionment with the human condition. As Rothko grew older, he looked for purer meaning and his palette became darker and his compositions larger and more minimalist. In the final room, his black and grey paintings are exhibited with the work of Alberto Giacometti, another artist of existential gravity, a curatorial decision of Christopher Rothko to fulfil his father’s wishes.