Life, death, heroism, tragedy—subjects that, until the latter half of the 20th century, propelled the canon of Western art. How do the abstractions of Mark Rothko figure in that tradition? Are they, in a sense, its swan song? This program depicts Rothko’s engagement with timeless themes that dominated his thinking long after the mythic grandeur of Abstract Expressionism had yielded to the calculated banality of Pop. Host Simon Schama presents an impassioned study of Black on Maroon as well as compelling discussions of Rothko’s subway paintings, The Green Stripe, numerous untitled works, the images enshrined at the Rothko Chapel, and other selections from the Seagram’s project. The painter’s youth and his encounters with anti-Semitism are also examined. (53 minutes)