This beautifully produced, oversized monograph on the American artist Mark Rothko, presents over 100 of his works in full-color plates that reveal his remarkable genius. Rothko is one of the towering figures of Abstract Expressionism, and in fact, of 20th-century painting as a whole. His paintings, predominantly in a large format and featuring horizontal layers of pigment on a monochrome foundation, will forever be in our pictorial memory as the epitome of classical modernism. By considering Rothko's central groups of works from all creative periods-among them the Rothko Room in the Phillips Collection and the Harvard Murals at Harvard University-this book documents the artist's continuous struggle to arrive at "a consummated experience between picture and onlooker." Rothko's adamant insistence on controlling the presentation of his works set him apart from the art scene as early as the 1950s. His pictures were to be hung closely together in small rooms, in which soft lighting and his large formats were to provide an immediate viewing experience. This book attempts to recreate that atmosphere with a large, uninterrupted plate section that brings to life the vibrancy and power of these paintings, especially when looked at in abundance. In addition to the over 100 color works, Mark Rothko includes essays about specific groups of work, an extensive, year by year, descriptive chronology of his life and work, and an exhaustive bibliography of writings about him from the past five years. An essential addition to any collection on 20th century art.