Mark Rothko painted this work, known as Untitled (Black on Grey), during 1969 through 1970. To make this work, Rothko used acrylic paints directly on a white canvas. He used different shades of black for the top rectangle, and shades of grey, brown, and lavender on the bottom rectangle. The colors chosen symbolize a dark period in his life, as during the time when he created this work his physical health was declining and he suffered from depression. Unlike many of his previous works, the rectangles almost extend to the edge of the canvas and are surrounded by a thin white border. They do not seem to be freely floating across it. This symbolizes how he no longer had whimsical and playful thoughts, as represented by the movement of the rectangles
