Ipswich Art Gallery to showcase $116m Rothko painting from National Collection
By Nick Dent
A 1957 masterpiece by American abstract expressionist Mark Rothko will hang in the Ipswich Art Gallery for two years on loan from the National Gallery of Australia.
Titled 1957 #20, the work is more than two metres high, nearly two metres wide, and depicts a composition in red, brown and black.
The Rothko is on loan as part of the federal government’s Sharing the National Collection program and is valued at $116 million.
Mark Rothko’s painting ‘1957 #20’.Credit: National Gallery of Australia
Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding described getting the work as “an amazing coup”.
“It’s a great initiative of the Australian government to allow these pieces to be shared nationally rather than just being in Canberra. It’s a great way for all Australians to get better connected with the collection that we have,” she said.
Representing an important shift in the Latvian-born artist’s work towards fewer and darker colours, the painting captures Rothko’s famous style of soft-edged rectangular forms that seem to float above the canvas.
Artist Mark Rothko (1903-1970) in 1961. He is considered an important figure in the colour field movement.Credit: Getty
Ipswich Art Gallery director Claire Sourgnes said Rothko’s paintings were admired for their ability to transcend cultural and linguistic barriers.
“The intense, contemplative colour fields evoke a wide range of human emotions – joy, sorrow, serenity, anxiety – and encourage viewers to engage with their own inner experiences,” she said.
Rothko famously refused to explain his works because “silence is so accurate”.
The work was purchased by the National Gallery of Australia in 1981 and is considered one of the gallery’s most valuable pieces.
Earlier this year the director of the NGA, Dr Nick Mitzevich, said 1957 #20 was also one of the gallery’s most beloved paintings.
“Works of this tremendous calibre would not normally be available to regional galleries due to their high value and significance.
“The possibility that young audiences in particular can see works of art like this in their local gallery can be a transformative experience.”
The Rothko will be joined by two paintings by Canadian-born abstract expressionist Agnes Martin, as well as pottery by Australian ceramicist Gwyn Hanssen Pigott, who lived for a time in Ipswich suburb Bundamba.
The artworks will be on display until November 2026 and are initially part of a free exhibition of abstract art titled Arriving Slowly, open daily and continuing until February 16, 2025.
Arriving Slowly launches on Saturday with guests including Shayne Neumann, federal member for Blair. Tickets to the free launch event are available on the gallery’s website.
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