Mark Rothko

Rothko was the quintessential painter's painter: all brushstroke, balance and touch. The Tate starts off with a brilliant introduction, first by showing the tiny comparative sketches that helped him understand how his pictures would work together in series, and then by placing a single piece – made up of nothing more than 'Four Darks in Red' – on its own in the next room, for you to get up close and personal with. For the first time all 15 of Rothko's Seagram Murals are displayed in one room, an embarrassment of riches that takes the breath away. (OW)