Mark Rothko studio recreation

malena · May 3, 2008

Hi I have this project for school in which I have to recreate the studio of a painter. The main point of this is the lighting. I chose Rothko. I know Rothko had several studios in New York and one of them had a sort of cupola. I think it has to be bright because he was a colorful painter.

Can you give me some other ideas and tips? What kind of light does NY city have? Where on the internet can I find info on the different lights of the world? Thanks!

Chris Keth · May 3, 2008

I really doubt if you can really do the assignment the way it was (probably) intended if you choose mark Rothko. You can't make any choices with even reasonable certainty when the paintings in question are so flat and abstract.

I think the idea is to look at some more representational paintings and use them to judge the light.

BTW, you should change your display name to your full first and last name. It is a forum rule.

I wonder what Vermeer's studio looked like... ;)

Edited May 3, 2008 by Chris Keth

James Brown · May 3, 2008

I wonder what Vermeer's studio looked like... ;)

I would like to believe it's similar to the way Eduardo Serra represented it in Girl with a pearl earing

That beautiful soft light pouring in as she opens the blinds will stay with me forever.

Cheers, James

malena · May 3, 2008

I really doubt if you can really do the assignment the way it was (probably) intended if you choose mark Rothko. You can't make any choices with even reasonable certainty when the paintings in question are so flat and abstract.

I think the idea is to look at some more representational paintings and use them to judge the light.

BTW, you should change your display name to your full first and last name. It is a forum rule.

I wonder what Vermeer's studio looked like... ;)

thanks you might be right, but we already did a Vermeer project and a Caravaggio and Rembrandt. Our professor gave us the option of Rothko. He showed us a book by Alexander Liberman, The artist in his studio, in which Rothko was profiled. I live in Mexico and our classmates and I can't seem to find the book, not even a pdf or a torrent.

Paul Bruening · May 3, 2008

North light. Old school photographers and painters love north facing windows. The sun runs on a southern arc all through the year.

Chris Keth · May 3, 2008

I was joking about the Vermeer's studio thing ;) . His studio is known quite well because it is shown in many of his paintings. It's the only logical answer to that cream colored room with the window on the left of frame that shows up so often:

Edited May 3, 2008 by Chris Keth

malena · May 4, 2008

North light. Old school photographers and painters love north facing windows. The sun runs on a southern arc all through the year.

ok. nice info, very helpful, thanks!

malena · May 4, 2008

I was joking about the Vermeer's studio thing ;) . His studio is known quite well because it is shown in many of his paintings. It's the only logical answer to that cream colored room with the window on the left of frame that shows up so often:

oohh haha, should've known that,

Andre Labous · May 4, 2008

There's an interesting book called Vermeer's Camera by Phlip Steadman. It explores the speculation that Vermeer used a camera obscura to create his masterpieces. It goes into detail of recronstructing the artists studio and supports evidence that he did indeed use the camera.

Vermeer has always been an inspiration for my lighting style. Speculation of his technique and his interpretation of natural light could have very well been done with an early form of photographic tecnology.