Support WBUR The Cape Ann Museum added its first Mark Rothko painting to the permanent collection on Thursday, thanks to a gift from the artist's son, Christopher Rothko. "We're just absolutely thrilled to be able to add this first work by Mark Rothko into the museum's collection, as it's really going to help audiences understand the profound role that Cape Ann played in Rothko's artistic evolution," said Oliver Barker, the museum's director.
The 1934 watercolor and gouache landscape, titled "Untitled (wharf, Gloucester, Massachusetts)", is one of a series of abstract landscapes Rothko painted of the area. It depicts Gloucester Harbor looking from East Gloucester, with fishing piers and the town's waterfront buildings. Barker explained that this painting was made when Gloucester was America's largest fishing port, and the drying racks used to preserve fish are represented in the piece.
"In the foreground, you can actually see the fish flakes that are on the pier that juts out onto Gloucester Harbor," he said. The painting is currently part of the exhibition "Avery, Gottlieb & Rothko: By the Sea," which features 79 pieces of art and tells the story of the relationship between Rothko, Adolph Gottlieb, and Milton Avery, three New York artists who spent summers on Cape Ann together.
Christopher Rothko, the artist's son, stated in a press release that his gift reflects his genuine love for Gloucester and echoes his father’s feelings from his two extended stays, which sparked a vivid response from his brush. The exhibit is on view through September 27.