Mark Rothko’s No. 1 (1949) is offered as part of Christie’s post-war and contemporary art evening sale on March 7.
It’s an important early example of his mature work and was exhibited as part of his 1950 solo show at the Betty Parsons Gallery in New York.
Rothko's No.1 is on the left, Rauschenberg's Transom on the right
There is no estimate available, but Rothko is among the most in-demand artists on the market. One of his works, a piece titled Orange, red, yellow, sold for a record $86.9m in 2012.
Robert Rauschenberg’s Transom (1963) is also offered.
Again there is no valuation at present, but comparable works by Raschenberg generally sell in the $4m-6m range.
Francis Outred, Christies’ chairman of post-war and contemporary art, said: “America is a profound force on the global stage and has been unstoppable in defining the contemporary culture of the last century.
“It is a privilege to present two seminal works that date from the beginning of this cultural dominance.
“Mark Rothko’s No.1 dates from 1949 and was one of his first works to incorporate the planes of colour as mood that defined his career.
“Robert Rauschenberg’s Transom is one of the breakthrough series of Silkscreen Paintings with which he not only sparred with Warhol but also became the very first American artist to win the Golden Lion at the 1964 Venice Biennale. “
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