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In the 1950s, American painter Mark Rothko, known for his minimalist paintings and deep color fields, received a high-paying commission from a luxury New York restaurant called Four Seasons:

30 paintings to decorate the restaurant walls.

It was a big contract, and Rothko accepted it — but with a strange intention.
Later, he said: "I hope the people who eat in that room will be sick to their stomachs when they look at my paintings."

His artworks were deep, dark, and heavy. But when he visited the restaurant and saw the glamorous space filled with wealthy elites, he was horrified.

A few weeks later, he canceled the contract, returned the money, and donated the paintings to museums instead.


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Rothko chose to stay hungry, rather than let the meaning of his art be consumed by the rich.
That was one of those rare moments when art refused to serve the market — and returned to its true essence.

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