Objective Critique

Mark Rothko's painting titled "Number 14" is a piece in which two roughly painted rectangles, one red and one deep blue, lay on a background of dark burgundy. He used color to create emotional responses from his viewers. Rothko also used color to create contrast and emphasis in his painting, with an almost complimentary color scheme to his two rectangles. The red rectangle is emphasized because of the brightness and warmth to the color. The shapes, geometric rather than organic, which lay one on top of the other, create a sense of symmetry and pattern. Rothko's use of rough line work around the borders of the rectangle shapes create texture in this piece.