Inside the Rothko Chapel: The story of Mark Rothko’s spiritual masterpiece
The de Menil family, John and Dominique, were lay Catholics who commissioned the Rothko Chapel in the 1970s. They sought to create a place of quiet transcendence that would be open to all, regardless of faith. The couple traveled extensively to introduce the concept of the chapel and ensure its acceptance across different traditions.
They met the Dalai Lama in India, who eventually visited the chapel in 1979 after obtaining a U.S. visa. The de Menils believed in using their wealth for meaningful and purposeful endeavors, and they had the intelligence, education, and aesthetics to do so. When the chapel opened in 1971, modern art was not popular in Houston, and the de Menils faced resistance from local residents.
Undeterred, they decided to buy a sculpture by Barnett Newman, the Broken Obelisk, and place it in the chapel. The de Menils chose Rothko to be the contemporary artist honored in the chapel due to his deep thinking and quest to express the human condition artistically. Unlike other artists, Rothko created both the art and the space, designing an eight-sided room with natural light and intricate details.
The chapel has since become a neutral ground for meditation, prayer, and reflection, open to visitors from various religious backgrounds, including Buddhists, Hindus, Zoroastrians, and Muslims.
Written by urgent.news from The Indian Express's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
