“Untitled (Purple, White, and Red)” is an abstract painting created in 1953 by the renowned artist Mark Rothko. This work, executed with oil on canvas, is a hallmark of the Color Field Painting movement. It features dimensions of 197.5 x 207.7 cm and is housed at the Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago, IL, US.
The artwork presents an interplay of three bold, rectangular fields of color, each stacked horizontally. At the top resides a substantial expanse of rich purple, followed by a central band of muted, off-white which provides a stark contrast. The composition is anchored by a deep, pulsating red at the bottom. This arrangement of colors is characteristic of Rothko’s mature style, which aimed to evoke profound emotional responses through seemingly simple yet deeply resonant compositions. The edges of the color fields softly blur into one another, emphasizing the fluid, almost atmospheric quality of the work. As a representative piece of abstract art, this painting embodies the meditative and immersive experience that Rothko sought to create through the vast expanses of color.
