Art Analysis: No. 22 By Mark Rothko
No.5/No.22
No.5/No.22, a painting created by Mark Rothko in 1950, is an abstract work. It is comprised of yellow, red, and orange rectangles that seemingly hover on the surface of the canvas, as they do not extend to its margins. In the center of the work is a bold, red rectangle, and within it are strong, gently undulating, horizontal lines. These strokes, executed through scraping the canvas repeatedly, contrast with the vagueness of most other elements in No.5/No.22. On the right side of the painting, these lines are condensed closely together, while on the left side, they seem to branch out.
The elements used most prominently in Rothko’s No.5/No.22 are line, shape, color, value, and space. The grooves and edges in this painting are generally very indeterminate and blended, while the contours contained in the powerful, crimson core of the piece are harsh and definite. Rectangles are the most frequently occuring shapes, again contrasted by said contours, which deviate from the straight edges. Warm colors are featured in No.5/No.22, which juxtapose with each other …show more content…
Unfortunately, I have never taken a moment to truly value any of Rothko’s work until now. They are abstract, and I have found them hard to understand. I have learned through this critique that basing a judgement of his work solely on color will not allow for a complete understanding of it. If color was all that mattered in Rothko’s pieces, No.5/No.22 would be a warm, happy painting that evoked an image of sunlight. This piece, in contrast, is violent, powerful, and threatening. Its use of color, line, shape, balance, emphasis, and unity creates these feelings. The bright, bold colors, harsh lines, rectangular shapes, and symmetry illustrate, however abstractly, the Crucifixion of Christ effectively. It has left an ominous, solemn effect on me, as it is one of the most powerful paintings I have ever truly looked
No.5/No.22, a painting created by Mark Rothko in 1950, is an abstract work. It is comprised of yellow, red, and orange rectangles that seemingly hover on the surface of the canvas, as they do not extend to its margins. In the center of the work is a bold, red rectangle, and within it are strong, gently undulating, horizontal lines. These strokes, executed through scraping the canvas repeatedly, contrast with the vagueness of most other elements in No.5/No.22. On the right side of the painting, these lines are condensed closely together, while on the left side, they seem to branch out.
The elements used most prominently in Rothko’s No.5/No.22 are line, shape, color, value, and space. The grooves and edges in this painting are generally very indeterminate and blended, while the contours contained in the powerful, crimson core of the piece are harsh and definite. Rectangles are the most frequently occuring shapes, again contrasted by said contours, which deviate from the straight edges. Warm colors are featured in No.5/No.22, which juxtapose with each other …show more content…
Unfortunately, I have never taken a moment to truly value any of Rothko’s work until now. They are abstract, and I have found them hard to understand. I have learned through this critique that basing a judgement of his work solely on color will not allow for a complete understanding of it. If color was all that mattered in Rothko’s pieces, No.5/No.22 would be a warm, happy painting that evoked an image of sunlight. This piece, in contrast, is violent, powerful, and threatening. Its use of color, line, shape, balance, emphasis, and unity creates these feelings. The bright, bold colors, harsh lines, rectangular shapes, and symmetry illustrate, however abstractly, the Crucifixion of Christ effectively. It has left an ominous, solemn effect on me, as it is one of the most powerful paintings I have ever truly looked