Vibrant swatches: Rothko's Harvard murals

Harvard. Our illustrious neighboring academic institution proves more than an academic rival. Pushing aside the cliché of Harvard exclusivity, the university houses a newly remodeled collection of its three art museums, the Arthur M. Sackler, Fogg and Busch-Reisinger, that are open to the public. The impressive collections are displayed beneath a natural skylight, which infuses the structure with soft light to complement the viewing experience. In addition to the museum’s three separate wings, the building also houses a conservation lab on that top floor.

Collections at the Harvard Art Museums range from Dürer’s prints to Japanese Narrative Screens to Renoir sketches to the temporary exhibition "Mark Rothko's Harvard Murals" (1961-62).   The comprehensive scope of the museums is impressive, showcasing masterpieces from a variety of media and centuries. A unique aspect about the museums is that they exhibit lesser-known -- yet equally beautiful -- work by the contemporaries of greats alongside the popularized paragons of an extensive range of artistic periods. The mixture of antiquity and modernity that marks the museums’ architecture only adds to the diverse and exciting viewing experience.

However, the layout of the museum is at times hard to navigate, as one must traverse backwards through history. Beginning with contemporary art and ending with antiquity on the upper levels, the museum forces the viewer to look at the present before the past. I found this layout a bit of a nuisance, but I must concede that others have found it intriguing to view the present before the past. This layout encourages one to look at each artwork in isolation, subsequently connecting it to its predecessors. After viewing the museum in its entirety, one can then recognize the connections and divergences between artistic trends by tracing art to the exit in a chronological order.

After traversing a few flights of stairs, one arrives at the exhibition space, which is tucked away on the upper floor next to the classical antiquities. While hard to find and not easily marked, the Rothko exhibition was serene. Once I stumbled into the Mark Rothko galleries, I was overcome by their monumentality. The bold swatches of color, characteristic of Rothko’s artistic style, had been restored to their original vibrancy by the museum's art restoration department. Along with the traditional wall text, there is a video produced by the curator detailing the vision of the exhibition as well as Rothko's original intention for these murals.

Moreover, the exhibition explores Rothko’s creative process, which entails many revisions and preliminary sketches. I found this investigation into the mechanics behind his work fascinating. Many perceive modern art as a free-form experiment in expression, but the Rothko murals refute this belief. The focus on the conception and the mechanics behind a finished work are concepts widely applicable to a student population such as ours. For those interested, it will be on view until July 26.

If one simply wants a release from stress on campus, and an option closer to campus than the MFA, the Harvard Art Museums are a short ten-minute ride away on the T. However, unlike the MFA, the museums charge a $10 student entrance fee, except for Saturdays between 10:00 a.m.-noon during which admission is free for residents of Massachusetts -- though I understand the aggravation of having to pay at all for a neighboring campus’ art gallery. Our gallery on campus serves the purpose of an interactive teaching aid, but there is an intangible quality to entering an official museum.

Stepping into the Harvard Art Museum galleries, I was no longer a Tufts-affiliated student, but rather I was simply another connoisseur of art. Thus, I implore you to take advantage of our neighboring institution and revel in the spectacles that the Harvard Art Museum houses.