“Violet, Green and Red,” created by Mark Rothko (1903 – 1970) during a period of depression, is devoid of subject matter, conveying an intimate, intense message solely through the powerful use of color. Rothko’s revolutionary form of Abstractionism featured vibrant blocks of color painted on huge canvases that made viewers feel like part of the artwork. Believing that good paintings achieved substance through underlying concepts of mortality and spirituality, Rothko gave this piece a vague name so viewers’ interpretation of it would be their own.