Paintings and Drawings of Mark Rothko (1903–1970) from the National Gallery in Washington: The Artist’s 100th Anniversary

St. Petersburg, Russia

Rothko was born in Dvinsk, Russia (now Daugavpils, Latvia), on September 25, 1903; this exhibition of 17 canvases and 10 drawings from the National Gallery of Art was the first devoted solely to the artist in the country of his birth. Mounted to commemorate the centennial of Rothko’s birth, it also coincided with the 300th anniversary of the founding of Saint Petersburg by Peter the Great. The State Hermitage Museum installation followed the presentation of the exhibition in Riga, Latvia, where it was titled Mark Rothko: A Centennial Celebration. A catalog was produced for the Saint Petersburg venue that listed but did not illustrate the works shown. The exhibition was curated by Laili Nasr of the National Gallery of Art and organized in collaboration with the U.S. Department of State. A near-identical selection of works—one drawing was substituted—traveled to Mexico City, Hong Kong, and Seoul from 2005 to 2006.