On the one hand, I was truly grateful for the exhaustiveness of this work.

The author did an excellent job of situating Rothko among his contemporaries. He managed to always sort of root for Rothko while not excluding the fine artists he collaborated with.

Moreover, the actual art criticism parts were very well-written and could even guide someone who was unfamiliar with Rothko's work.

However, the biographical parts often seemed to overreach. The author sometimes played the role of an armchair psychologist, proposing to know the reasons behind Rothko's individual, minor decisions or trying to extract a wide theme from individual, second-hand remarks and stories.

This didn't enhance the story; instead, it felt rather forced.

The subject himself, Rothko, is indeed fairly fascinating, and I have a great love for his work.

But this book also left me with a desire to know more about other artists like Barnett Newman and Ad Reinhardt.

The author did his job and conducted his research, but the self-indulgent afterward, which was almost entirely about his adventures traveling to research the book, was quite unnecessary.

It changed the tone so sharply from the writing about the end of Rothko's life and the art he was creating at that time. At best, I just scanned through it.

I have a deep affection for Rothko's paintings. His works have a unique charm that can deeply touch the soul. The colors, the compositions, and the emotions they convey are truly remarkable. However, when it comes to the book related to Rothko, it was a completely different story. The book seemed to lack the same passion and vitality as his paintings. It was filled with dry facts and technical details that failed to engage my interest. I found myself constantly losing focus and struggling to get through each page. It was a disappointment, as I had hoped that the book would provide more insights into the mind and art of this great painter. But unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations.

There was a plethora of fascinating information.

However, I couldn't help but feel that it was rather wordy.

It seemed as if the author had used an excessive number of words to convey the same ideas.

This made it a bit of a challenge to fully engage with the content.

Perhaps a more concise presentation would have made the information even more accessible and engaging.

Nonetheless, the interesting nature of the details still managed to capture my attention.

I found myself intrigued by the various facts and concepts that were presented.

Despite the wordiness, there was clearly a wealth of knowledge to be gained from the article.

It just required a bit more effort on my part to sift through the excess verbiage and extract the key points.

Overall, it was an interesting read, but with some refinement in terms of brevity, it could have been even better.

I think the book could have been enhanced if it were shorter and contained fewer interpretive descriptions of Rothko paintings. These descriptions were rather long themselves. Breslin admits at the end of the book that he was offering his own "take" [my word] on the paintings he described. However, that's not the reason I chose to read this biography. One of the many perils in "reading" paintings as if they reveal or reflect the painter's personality is, of course, that the supposed characteristics can be "read into" the painting. This is the biographical fallacy. Rothko said that "I have imprisoned the most utter violence in every inch of their surface." Personally, I don't perceive any violence in his abstract paintings. Does Breslin see it because he anticipates it?

Anyway, I believe the book could have placed more emphasis on Rothko's life and less on Breslin's interpretations of his works. The best portrayal of Rothko in the book, in my opinion, comes from someone else:

“’He was a man of tremendous ego and tremendous doubt,’ said Hedda Sterne, and the doubts extended to himself as well as to others.” 525

Read it and weep!

This was one of the very first books that I had the opportunity to read upon my arrival in New York.

The moment I opened its pages, I was immediately drawn into a world that was both captivating and profound.

As I delved deeper into the story, it left a deep, perhaps even too deep, impression on me.

The vivid descriptions and the complex characters made me feel as if I was right there, experiencing everything along with them.

Every word seemed to be carefully chosen to evoke the strongest of emotions within me.

Even now, long after I finished reading, the book still lingers in my mind, a constant reminder of the power of literature to touch our hearts and souls.

It is a book that I will never forget and one that I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a truly unforgettable reading experience.

I truly relished this book and the wealth of information it proffered.

The author adeptly crafted a biography of Rothko's life, artfully interweaving it with his paintings and the techniques, musings, and emotions that underpinned them.

The book not only furnished copious historical details regarding Rothko's life but also shed light on other prominent artists and institutions of that era.

Moreover, there were vivid descriptions of some of his paintings. Although some other readers might not have taken a liking to this aspect, I, for one, did.

It enhanced my understanding and deepened my appreciation of his works.

All in all, I derived a great deal of value from this book.

I have a profound love for Mark Rothko. It's not just a passing fancy; it's a genuine and deep affection. And I also have a great passion for art books. However, I must readily admit that there are a significant number of rather boring ones in existence.

On the other hand, there are also some absolute gems. But here's the thing, I just can't seem to go on. I only managed to get halfway through a particular one, and it felt like torture.

Life is simply too short, and there are far too many truly fantastic books out there waiting to be discovered. It just doesn't make any sense to waste precious time on those that just aren't meeting your expectations or cutting it for you.

There are so many other wonderful art books that could potentially provide inspiration, knowledge, and pure enjoyment. So, it's better to move on and explore those rather than persevering with something that is clearly not working.

Breslin's biography of Rothko is generally well-balanced. It offers valuable insights into the painter's difficult personality.

It also delves into his relationships with other artists of the period, such as Barnett Newman and Clyfford Still.

Moreover, it explores his unease with the art market and his preoccupation with his place in history.

However, after reading the first two volumes of the Picasso biography and the bio on Willem DeKooning, I had a different impression of Breslin's Rothko biography. I found this book to be not as interesting and, in fact, rather difficult to get through.

This could perhaps be a combination of Breslin's writing style, which tends to extend a point beyond what is necessary, and my own impatience with Rothko's foibles.

Nonetheless, Breslin's work still provides a comprehensive look at Rothko's life and art, and is worth reading for those interested in the artist.

WAY too long.

It felt as if the text was filled with an excessive amount of minutiae, going into every little detail.

There was also an overabundance of psychoanalysis, which made it quite overwhelming.

I simply couldn't make it through the entire piece.

In fact, I didn't even get to the part where he was painting the big, rich color fields that he's so well-known for.

The length and the complexity of the content seemed to be a deterrent, preventing me from fully engaging with it.

Perhaps if it had been more concise and less focused on the minute details and psychoanalysis, I would have been able to reach that point and appreciate the work in its entirety.

As it stands, I was left with a sense of dissatisfaction and a feeling that I had missed out on something significant.

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Mark Rothko is undeniably one of the most prominent abstract expressionist painters.

I have the ability to truly appreciate each and every one of the diverse stages through which his painting style evolved.

His later color field works took on a darker tone as he faced significant physical and mental struggles.

This ultimately led to his tragic decision to commit suicide in 1968.

This particular book was among the very first modern artist biographies that I had the pleasure of reading.

It left a lasting and indelible impression on my understanding and appreciation of modern art, especially when it comes to the New York abstract expressionists.

It opened my eyes to the depth and complexity of their works, and allowed me to see the emotional and psychological turmoil that lay beneath the surface of their paintings.

Thanks to this book, I have developed a greater respect and admiration for the artists of this movement, and for Mark Rothko in particular.

A balanced examination of a complex man and his imposing artwork is presented. Rothko, undoubtedly an artistic prodigy, unfortunately had a tumultuous family life, a track record of poor business choices, and a penchant for fabricating stories about his life. The author clearly holds Rothko's talent in high regard but doesn't flinch from delving into the more controversial aspects of his existence.

Nonetheless, the most engaging section of the book is the epilogue. Here, the author vividly describes the peculiar encounters and exciting adventures he experienced during the research for this book. The prose is so spontaneous and captivating that it leaves the reader longing for him to develop it into a standalone volume.

Overall, this book offers a comprehensive and nuanced view of Rothko, encompassing both his artistic brilliance and the less savory elements of his life. It is a must-read for anyone interested in art history or the life of a fascinating and flawed artist.