Red on Maroon
- Artist: Mark Rothko
- Date: 1959
- Medium: Oil paint, acrylic paint and glue tempera on canvas
- Dimensions: support: 2667 x 2388 x 35 mm
- Museum: Tate Modern
- Collection record: Tate Modern website
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About this artwork
This is “Red on Maroon” by Mark Rothko, finished in 1959 as part of his Seagram Murals series. It sits on a tall, unframed canvas that Rothko stretched to match the dimensions of a private dining room in New York’s Seagram Building, allowing him to work on a life‑scale level. The surface is dominated by a deep maroon background, overlaid with a broad, solid red rectangle that borders a smaller maroon frame inside. The edges of the colours bleed slightly, creating a subtle sense of depth and movement that feels almost cinematic. Rothko used oil, acrylic, and glue tempera, layering the paint and scraping it to leave thin, translucent layers—this gives the canvas its muted, matte finish.
The work marks a shift from his earlier, brighter palette to a darker, more contemplative mood. Rothko himself described the murals as “involved with the scale of human feelings.” He eventually withdrew from the commission, feeling the exclusive restaurant setting was unsuitable, and donated the series to the Tate in 1969. “Red on Maroon” remains a powerful example of his colour‑field style, inviting viewers to sit with the weight of the hues and the emotions they stir.
See it in person
Red on Maroon is in the collection of Tate Modern on Bankside, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
