A 1957 masterpiece by American abstract expressionist Mark Rothko will hang in the Ipswich Art Gallery for two years on loan from the National Gallery of Australia.
Titled 1957 #20, the work is more than two metres high, nearly two metres wide, and depicts a composition in red, brown and black.
The Rothko is on loan as part of the federal government’s Sharing the National Collection program and is valued at $116 million.
Mark Rothko’s painting ‘1957 #20’.Credit: National Gallery of Australia
Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding described getting the work as “an amazing coup”.
“It’s a great initiative of the Australian government to allow these pieces to be shared nationally rather than just being in Canberra. It’s a great way for all Australians to get better connected with the collection that we have,” she said.
Representing an important shift in the Latvian-born artist’s work towards fewer and darker colours, the painting captures Rothko’s famous style of soft-edged rectangular forms that seem to float above the canvas.
Artist Mark Rothko (1903-1970) in 1961. He is considered an important figure in the colour field movement.Credit: Getty
Ipswich Art Gallery director Claire Sourgnes said Rothko’s paintings were admired for their ability to transcend cultural and linguistic barriers.
“The intense, contemplative colour fields evoke a wide range of human emotions – joy, sorrow, serenity, anxiety – and encourage viewers to engage with their own inner experiences,” she said.
