De Hirsh Margules, Mother Ann Lighthouse, Eastern Point, Gloucester, 1946. Gouache on paper. Gift of Jean M. Horblit, 2002. [Acc. #2002.004.002]
Gloucester Daily Times: Son gifts Rothko work of Gloucester Harbor to museum
By Gail McCarthy | August 22, 2026
Mark Rothko’s “Untitled (wharf, Gloucester, Massachusetts),” a watercolor and gouache on construction paper painted in 1934, has been gifted to the Cape Ann Museum by Rothko’s son Christopher Rothko.
A gift of unimaginable proportion — a Mark Rothko painting of a Gloucester wharf — has been made to Cape Ann Museum by the artist’s son, from his personal collection.
Rothko is among the most influential abstract artists of the 20th century.
Christopher Rothko donated his father’s 1934 watercolor and gouache painting “Untitled (wharf, Gloucester, Massachusetts)” to the museum. It is the first Rothko artwork to enter the museum’s permanent collection.
This artwork is a signature piece in the Cape Ann Museum’s current special exhibition, “Avery, Gottlieb & Rothko: By the Sea,” which shares the untold story of the long friendship among Mark Rothko, Adolph Gottlieb and Milton Avery, three New York City artists. Their shared summers in Gloucester, the nation’s oldest seaport, would have a lasting influence on this trio of artists.
“My father said that all art was inherently of its time. But sometimes, even with a master of abstraction like Mark Rothko, art can also be inherently of its place,” Christopher Rothko said. “The richly-hued watercolor of Gloucester Harbor that I am gifting to the Cape Ann Museum is such a piece, capturing details from nearly 100 years ago that can still be seen today.”
“My gift reflects my genuine love for this remarkable town and, I am certain, echoes my father’s feelings from his two extended stays — stays that sparked a vivid response from his brush,” he said. “Now this watercolor is back home where it will be treasured and where it may evoke an extra smile of recognition.”
Rothko’s artworks capture prices ranging from millions to many tens of millions of dollars at auction.
“We are beyond ecstatic that the import of Rothko’s formative Cape Ann connections will now remain a visible presence in the galleries for all time,” museum Director Oliver Barker said. “It is an extraordinary honor to have Christopher Rothko give this remarkable painting to the museum.”
Next month, Christopher Rothko and his sister, Kate Rothko Prizel, will participate in Cape Ann Museum’s Sept. 17-18 symposium, when they will discuss their father’s development as an artist. They both contributed insightful essays to the special exhibition’s 224-page catalogue. Rothko, who holds a doctorate in clinical psychology, and Prizel, a retired physician, oversee the management of their father’s legacy.
The gift painting depicts a scene from Gloucester’s Inner Harbor, including the once common fish flakes on a pier jutting out into the water.
“This exhibition has revealed an important chapter in Mark Rothko’s artistic development, tracing the evolution of his style during his formative years in Gloucester, where he painted alongside his mentor, Milton Avery, and his friend, Adolph Gottlieb,” Barker said. “Harbor and beach scenes were central to Rothko’s experience of Cape Ann and to his emerging artistic vision. We are deeply grateful for this gift and thrilled that Rothko’s first work to enter the museum’s collection will help audiences understand the profound role Cape Ann played in his artistic evolution.”
The special exhibition “Avery, Gottlieb & Rothko: By the Sea” is guest-curated by Eliza Rathbone, chief curator emerita at The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., a scholar with extensive expertise on the trio of artists. Rathbone’s close connection to the families of these artists enabled her to uncover new insights into their summers on Cape Ann.
Following its Gloucester debut through Sept. 27, the exhibition will travel to The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., marking the first time an exhibition organized by the Cape Ann Museum will tour to a national museum.
Cape Ann Museum, in a statement, said has been the recipient of an extraordinary number of gifts of art in recent years, while acquiring important new works through purchase, as it continues to expand and strengthen its holdings. These works include paintings, sculptures, drawings, decorative arts and archival materials.
In 2023, Janet and William “Wilber” Ellery James gifted 300 works of Cape Ann American art to the museum, helping to build momentum for a remarkable period of collecting and philanthropy, Barker said.
“The donation of this Rothko painting is a particularly significant addition to these growing holdings, bringing an important work by one of the 20th century’s most influential artists into the collection and further enriching the breadth and depth of the museum’s recent acquisitions,” Barker said.
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