The room at Tate Britain feels solemn and still.
The lighting is dim. Large murals surround you. The benches in the middle remind me of church pews. There is a sense of reverence, almost as though you have stepped into a place of worship—modern, minimal, with space to sit and reflect.
This is how I remember encountering Rothko’s Seagram Murals.
James Payne’s account of them came first. Payne is a curator and the creator of Great Art Explained, a YouTube series that explores the stories and ideas behind individual works of art. He makes those ideas accessible without assuming you already know art history. His film about Rothko made me curious enough to go and see the paintings in person.
I also hosted a talk with Payne for my visual art society. His discussion of Rothko was one of the moments that stayed with me; he spoke about the Rothko film as one of his own favourites. What I admire is his ability to make people slow down and look. He helps make art feel open to everyone, because so much of it speaks to feelings and experiences we share.
The murals were originally commissioned for the Four Seasons restaurant in New York’s Seagram Building. Rothko eventually withdrew from the commission, questioning whether the luxury restaurant was an appropriate setting for the work. That history gave me a way into the paintings before I stood in front of them. National Gallery of Art
What draws me back is their beauty.
The reds can feel flesh-like. The room is moody and enveloping. Yet I find being there meditative. It is a place where I enjoy taking time to look.
These paintings were my first real recognition of Rothko’s brilliance. Something seemingly so simple could make me feel so much, and I could not fully explain how.
I still find that extraordinary.
People sometimes dismiss modern art by saying they could easily make something similar. I am interested in what becomes possible when we give ourselves time with it. A painting can reach us before we have words for our response.
I also enjoy thinking about Rothko alongside late Turner: the colour, the atmosphere, the ability of a painted surface to carry feeling. Looking across generations makes me curious about what artists recognise in one another’s work and carry forward.
For me, this is also a story about art and technology.
Payne’s storytelling reached me through a screen. It gave me enough context and curiosity to seek out the physical paintings. That encounter became something I could experience for myself.
Technology helped make the introduction. In the room, I found beauty, stillness and time to reflect.