A dazzling master work by Mark Rothko, No. 36 (Black Stripe), 1958, will be offered for sale at Christi’s New York auction on May 13th. The painting, which has been in private collection for 30 years has never appeared at auction before. The piece is from the collection of the Museum Frieder Burda in Baden-Baden – one of Europe’s most important and prestigious private museums for Classical Modernism and Contemporary art based in Germany.
A classic example of Rothko’s mature style of painting, the canvas is massive, measuring 5ft 7in by 5ft 2in, and features three rectangles of red, black and orange layered over a red background.
Frieder Burda said: “The decision to part with a work from my collection has been very carefully considered and hasn’t been easy for someone like myself who has a very personal relationship with all works of the collection. No. 36 (Black Stripe) by Mark Rothko is an exceptional work, a solitaire within the collection from which it is hard to separate.”
Estimated $30-50 million, the work will be on view in Hong Kong and London before being offered at auction in New York, and proceeds from the sale will allow Frieda Burda’s non-profit foundation.
