No. 61 Rust and Blue is an abstract work of art inspired by the painting with the same title by Mark Rothko. Rothko's name and visual trademark became associated with important institutions such as MOMA and a sign of class distinction and culture. His work began being sold for stellar prices at auction houses. Rothko's own personality and trajectory posit a different perspective, though, with the artist having working-class origins and arriving in the US as a Russian immigrant. With his art, the painter aimed to communicate emotions that were intrinsically related to the human condition, and as such, never labeled himself an "abstractionist." No. 61 Rust and Blue is a painting from one of the artist's most hailed periods, the 1950s.

Originally Markus Rothkowitz, born in Latvian territory, Rothko was part of a Jewish family. His father decided to leave the country, which was part of the Russian Empire at the time, fearing both the hate speech around Jews that was becoming normalized in Europe and the World War that was approaching. The US's transition wasn't an easy one since Rothko's father died shortly after their arrival. Still, Rothko proved himself an applied student, and in seven years living in the US, he gained a scholarship at Yale. Unfortunately, Rothko wasn't impressed at all with the academic life, deeming their activities as superfluous and dropping out of the institution. The artist relocated to New York, where he became particularly inspired by the local artistic practice.

One of the painter's masters was Arshile Gorky. Gorky was of Armenian origin, a factor that undoubtedly influenced their bond. Around him, many immigrants and outcast artists began to gather, deeply influenced by the organic forms of Surrealism. He was also pivotal in making contact with Alfred Barr Jr, the MOMA director that promoted many of the soon-to-be Abstract Expressionists. Rothko, along with Barnett Newman, Adolph Gottlieb, Gorky, and other associated artists, created the group called The Ten. The Ten was a circle of painters that wanted to push for more creativity in the North American art circuit, which still had a regional and conservative mindset. The group began to be recognized, and Rothko's work goes through a long and complex set of phases and transformations. From his stylized figures of urban life, he goes to the organic Surrealist forms, and after meeting Clyfford Still, settles for color field painting.

No. 61 Rust and Blue is an oil on canvas painted in 1953, with dimensions of 115 x 92 cm. This rectangular shape with a big scale was the favorite choice of size for the mature and late period of his work, and for its sheer size, it creates a great immersion between spectator and painting. As usual for his production, he employs only four colors. The background was painted in a deep blue, and there are three rectangles on the superior: the bigger one in a warm color, which has a treatment akin to the worn-out quality of rust, a lighter blue triangle at the middle, and a blue and black one at the bottom.