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CHOICE Review

A scholarly, in-depth analysis of the painting style of Mark Rotho that will probably become a major reference work. As Chave says, there will not be a uniform agreement about her perceptions of the content of Rothko's work, but her research is impressive and her conclusions most persuasive. Chave tests what Rothko and others have written about the subjects of his canvasses against her own insights into their symbolism. Especially provocative are diagramatic comparisons with selected Renaissance masterworks. These, in conjunction with minute analyses of Rothko's expressionistic and surrealistic works from the 1930s and 1940s, pave the way for Chave's interpretation of Rothko's subjects as deeply humanistic, showing a major concern about mortality. The 30-page introduction encompasses the history and attitudes of a whole generation of pivotal artists in the US and should be valuable to everyone who discusses, teaches, or enjoys 20th-century art. The six chapters that follow make excellent contributions to existing material on Rothkos art, doing so with clarity and admirable thoroughness. This volume has 24 good-quality color plates and illuminating black-and-white illustrations--thankfully not the overly familiar Rothkos, but ones that confirm them and create new excitement. Highly recommended for college and university libraries. -P. N. Holder, Austin Peay State University