Mark Rothko was an American painter known for his large-scale abstract expressionist works characterized by soft-edged rectangular forms and fields of color. He was born Marcus Rothkowitz on September 25, 1903, in Dvinsk, Russia (now Daugavpils, Latvia), and his family immigrated to the United States when he was 10 years old.
Rothko studied at Yale University and later at the Art Students League in New York City. He initially painted in a style influenced by expressionism and surrealism, but later developed his signature style of large, luminous color fields.
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Rothko's work gained international recognition, and he became associated with the abstract expressionist movement. He rejected the label, however, and saw his work as a continuation of the tradition of classical painting.
In 1968, Rothko committed suicide at the age of 66. His legacy has endured, and his paintings are recognized as some of the most significant works of 20th-century art. They can be found in major museums and collections around the world, including the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the Tate Modern in London.