A book of heroic dimensions, this is the first full-length biography of one of the greatest artists of the twentieth century a man as fascinating, difficult, and compelling as the paintings he produced. Drawing on exclusive access to Mark Rothko’s personal papers and over one hundred interviews with artists, patrons, and dealers, James Breslin tells the story of a life in art the personal costs and professional triumphs, the convergence of genius and ego, culture and commerce, that defined the New York art scene of the 1930s, 40s, and 50s the world of Abstract Expressionism, of Pollock, Rothko, de Kooning, Klein.