Seagram Murals (1958–1959)
Item
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Title
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Seagram Murals (1958–1959)
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Date created
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1958–1959
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Measurements
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variable dimensions
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Relation
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The Seagram Murals 1958–1959 refers to 30 paintings Rothko produced over a two year period.
This collection is the set of nine works donated to the Tate Gallery by Mark Rothko in 1969. These are the most cohesive grouping of the series on permanent exhibition at Tate Modern.
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Description
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In 1958, Mark Rothko was commissioned to produce a series of works for the exclusive dining room of the opulent Four Seasons restaurant in the newly-built Seagram Building at 375 Park Avenue designed by architects Mies van der Rohe and Philip Johnson. He constructed a scaffold in his studio to match the site’s dimensions, allowing him to paint at scale.
Rothko spent two years working on the project, producing a total of 30 panels, seven of which were to fit together in the restaurant. Almost two years after receiving the commission for $35,000 (roughly $395,000 today), he abruptly returned the money, and withdrew the works. The nine works included in this set are the most significant grouping. The arrangement, lighting and exhibition were agreed upon by Rothko in detailed negotiations with the director of the Tate Gallery. The paintings arrived at the Tate on February 25, 1970, the day of Rothko’s suicide in New York.
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Rights
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© Kate Rothko Prizel and Christopher Rothko/DACS 2026.
Red on Maroon, 1959
Black on Maroon, 1959
Red on Maroon, 1959
Black on Maroon, 1958
Black on Maroon, 1958
