Gold and Cerulean Blue (with Rothko)

A pool of cerulean blue anchors the middle of this canvas, surrounded on all sides by warm gold and sandy brown. The surface has a scraped, weathered look, with pale flecks poking through where the paint has worn thin. Scattered patches of cream and white drift near the edges, giving the piece the feeling of an old wall that has weathered many summers and winters.

Painted in 1984, the title tips its hat to Mark Rothko, the artist celebrated for his big, glowing blocks of color. That influence comes through in the way the blue and gold seem to buzz quietly against each other. Instead of clear shapes or figures, this work is mostly about mood and texture. It is rough around the edges and unhurried, less interested in telling a story than in letting two colors sit together and shift as your eyes settle on them.