Rothko in St. Ives

This essay in book form explores the question of how we can learn to cope with death. Focusing on Mark Rothko’s (1903–1970) later works, particularly the Seagram Murals, author Jeroen Lutters reflects on mortality, meaning, and the role of art in modern life. In dialogue with Rothko’s paintings and photography by Boris Lutters, he argues that we live in a time when the world has largely lost its sense of enchantment. He suggests that the arts remain essential for finding meaning, proposing that confronting death can become an act of self-transcendence, where seemingly meaningless experiences are transformed into moments of self-creation and lasting significance.