Trip to Rothko, Hopper, and Scheeler

A few months ago, inspired by Dar Williams and Jacob Geller, I stopped by the National Gallery of Art, specifically to check out Mark Rothko and Barnett Newman's paintings on display, before continuing on my way to a concert nearby.

The depth of Rothko and Newman's work typically comes from the depth of their uniquely mixed colors. Cameras can't capture them, screens can't reproduce them. Artists and scientists put immense effort into recreating and restoring these subtleties when necessary. As such, I don't have any photos of my own to share from the trip. I've linked to the gallery's images, however if you get the chance and are interested you should see them in person. The museum itself is free and those working there are incredibly helpful at getting you to the portions you'd like to see, even in a time crunch.

My favorite of the gallery was Rothko's "Black Form Painting, No. 6" The difference between the outer and inner darknesses was striking. The linked photo doesn't do justice to how deep they both were.

I also enjoyed the abstract Personage Two, which while also not done justice by displays and cameras and such, I struggle a bit more to explain why, or why I liked it so much in person. It's a brilliant mess that reminds me a bit of Don Hertzfeldt's "World of Tomorrow" films.

Newman's "The Stations of the Cross" series had a consistent vanilla beige, whose scale and execution was impressive. The variations of each was subtle, and sort of progressed around the room. Each piece's dark and light vertical stripes more disorderly than the last.

Newman's consistency made Rothko's gallery feel all the more chaotic, like comparing Mozart to Grunge. I enjoyed both, but felt Rothko's pieces pull me in more that day. I'm not sure why, but think it was partially to do with each being standalone, rather than part of a set. Each of Newman's required the others surrounding it to appreciate the display in it's entirety, which I hadn't given myself the time to sit in and absorb.

The Hunt for Hopper

From the Rothko and Newman pair I went down stairs in search of Edward Hopper pieces, and stumbled across several great paintings along the way.

Starting with Key Sage's "A Finger on the Drum", which is a wonderful minimal composition of an abstract landscape. Followed by Max Ernst's "A Moment of Calm", whose scale and detailed shading can't be felt through it's picture online.

I had to stop for a second when I crossed by Jackson Pollock's "Number 1". I didn't know it by name but it is the most recognizable style of abstract art for a reason, and that's conveyed even more so in person. It doesn't make me feel much, but I see how some are captured by the chaos it pervades.

Finally, I made it to the only Edward Hopper piece I saw, "A Cape Cod Evening". Featuring a couple by their house, and a Collie front and center in a field. I'm not as familiar with Edward Hopper and was there looking for compositional inspiration. Much like the dog, I was more interested in the forest's blue-green depth and darkness than anything else in the painting.

Fortuitous Final Finds

I took a beat to appreciate two final paintings on my way out.

First: Edward Lopper's "Quarry". Wonderful swirly storm clouds with streaks of light peaking through, highlighting despair and destruction of a landscape, dead looking trees and brown grasses surrounding a quarry pool, and industry churning in the background. I bike by a quarry every so often and this captures what it feels like on devastating days.

And lastly, possibly my favorite from the day, Charles Sheeler's "Classic Landscape".

I took the train up the east coast about a month prior to this visit and spent a decent amount of the ride thinking about how dull the views from the train are. Industrial yards, manufacturing facilities, shipping containers, all repeating along the trip. That's what this piece reminded me of. Only then did I look closer and read the name. It's the only name that day to have a serious impact on my appreciation of the art. It really is the modern classic landscape, plumes of gray oozing into the hazy sky and all.

The composition, with the strong leading rails running off to the right, the light on each individual board fading off into the distance, is fantastic. The building itself reminds me a bit of NaissancE, looking almost ridiculous at it's scale, although it is a bit more clear about it's purpose of processing containers of material being shipped in. Maybe they're coming from Edward Lopper's Quarry.

I'm not surprised to learn of Sheeler's photography experiences, touring and documenting Ford's Model T factories. I love the industrial atmosphere running through the photos and paintings, the soulless nature of these factories being fully explored and exposed. Researching his other work online, MoMA's label of his "American Landscape", points out it's lack of people, and how that may be "reflecting an ambivalence about the country's shift toward the industrial". Through that the "Classic Landscape" I felt the factory's apathy, towards the people, and the environment that it has enveloped.

Another splendid source of inspiration for my own creative work, and successful trip to the gallery.

Published Oct 23, 2026