The Evolution of Style—And Prices

Mark Rothko
In 1950, Rothko symmetrically stacked his diaphanous bands of color, which was the final step to his artistic maturity. But his “multiform” canvases, from the late 1940s, display many qualities of his classic paintings and are a fraction of the price.

EARLY: "Untitled," 1948. Sold for $1.7 million at Christie’s New York in November 2006.

LATE: "Untitled (Red, Blue, Orange)," 1955. Sold for $34.2 million at Christie’s New York in November 2007.

Christie’s