Exhibition of Rothko's original works "Rotko. From the family collection"

The exhibition of Rothko's original works in the museum named after the artist offers a pictorial encounter with Mark Rothko, one of the most innovative and important artists of the 20th century, in whose works color and light conjure the experience of the viewer.

The Rothko Museum is the only public cultural place in Eastern Europe where a selection of Rothko's works from the artist's family collection is permanently on display. This is ensured by the museum's close cooperation with the artist's daughter Kate Rothko Prizel and son Christopher Rothko.

Mark Rothko was born in 1903 in Daugavpils, where he spent the first decade of his life before moving to the United States with his family. It was here that his earliest and most important ideas about the world were formed, which determined the development of his personality. Although Rothko experienced the flourishing of his creative career and international recognition in the United States, Daugavpils is an important reference point in his biography, because it was here that the artist's life path began. The Rothko Museum embodies this historical connection and at the same time offers to view his works not as a reference to certain biographical events, but as an independent and intense painting experience.

The exhibition covers all stages of Rothko's creativity - from early figurative and surrealist-influenced works to innovative "multiform" compositions and legendary "classical" period painting. Conceived not as a comprehensive retrospective, but a concise and thoughtful selection, it shows the change in the artist's thinking and the gradual transition from form to color, from representation to emotion and presence.

In Rothko's painting, color is not a decorative element, but a space that affects the viewer both emotionally and physically. Here, form and content are inseparable. In his classical works, the artist does not impose an interpretation on the viewer, which is underlined by a conscious refusal of titles. Instead, he invites us to stop, to indulge in silence, peace, and unhurried private conversation. Light, layering, structure of the composition create an immersive experience, where the painting is not an object, but a space of emotional presence. In this tension between abstraction and spirituality lies the greatest strength of Rothko's art.

The exhibition concept of Rothko's paintings provides for a regular replacement of works, keeping the original cherished idea unchanged - depicting the artist's creative path in various stages. Since the museum opened in 2013, visitors have had the opportunity to view twenty-four paintings by Mark Rothko, and each subsequent set of works continues to expand the understanding of his art.

The exhibition can be viewed from April 24, 2026 to April 22, 2029.

Exhibition curator – Farida Zaletilo

Publicity image: Mark Rothko, Untitled (1948). Oil on canvas, 157.5 x 81.3 cm. Christopher Rothko Collection.