Where Is Seagram Murals (Black on Maroon)? Museum Location

Q: Why did Rothko withdraw from the Seagram commission?

Rothko realized his dark, oppressive paintings didn't belong in a fancy restaurant. He wanted to create discomfort for rich diners, but ultimately found the setting wrong for his art.

Q: How many Seagram Murals exist?

Rothko painted about 30 canvases for the project. Nine went to Tate, others to the National Gallery of Art in Washington and the Kawamura Memorial Museum in Japan.

Q: Why is the Rothko Room so dark?

The low lighting follows Rothko's wishes. He wanted viewers to feel enveloped by the paintings in a meditative, chapel-like atmosphere rather than a bright gallery.

Mark Rothko created the Seagram Murals between 1958 and 1959 for the Four Seasons restaurant in New York's Seagram Building. He intended the dark red and maroon paintings to create an oppressive atmosphere, making wealthy diners uncomfortable. He later withdrew from the commission.

Rothko donated nine murals to the Tate in 1969, where they hang in a dedicated room. The paintings arrived the day Rothko was found dead by suicide. The somber installation honors his wish for a contemplative chapel-like space. These late works mark a shift from his earlier vibrant colors to brooding darkness.

Rothko realized his dark, oppressive paintings didn't belong in a fancy restaurant. He wanted to create discomfort for rich diners, but ultimately found the setting wrong for his art.

Rothko painted about 30 canvases for the project. Nine went to Tate, others to the National Gallery of Art in Washington and the Kawamura Memorial Museum in Japan.

The low lighting follows Rothko's wishes. He wanted viewers to feel enveloped by the paintings in a meditative, chapel-like atmosphere rather than a bright gallery.

Seagram Murals (Black on Maroon)

Details

Where to See It

The Artist

More by Mark Rothko

Red on Maroon

Also at Tate Modern, London

Mrs George Augustus Frederick Cavendish Bentinck and her Children

Lightning with Stag in its Glare

Lobster Telephone

Nebuchadnezzar

Related Abstract Expressionism Works

Composition with Red, Blue, and Yellow

Composition VIII

Mill of Heeswijk Sun

Composition with Yellow, Blue and Red

Village Church

Calves in a Field Bordered by Willow Trees

Untitled

Portrait of a Girl with Flowers

About Seagram Murals (Black on Maroon)

Own Art Like This