Organized to commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the nearby Rothko chapel, “Mark Rothko: The Chapel Commission” provided, more than its title might suggest, a compelling if not fully comprehensive overview of the second half of Rothko’s mature career—the last decade of his life, when he was obsessed with illuminating darkness. Thirty-two paintings, as well as seven graphite-on-paper studies for the chapel, were included; among the paintings were two large unfinished studies that had never been shown, and three pairs of alternate canvases, not previously exhibited together.

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