[SPEND TIME] Alone in a Room with Rothko

When the Rothko Room-which houses four of the Abstract Expressionist Mark Rothko's works in a snug, serene space-opened in 1960 at the Phillips Collection in Washington, DC, the artist's wishes were considered when it came to hanging his pieces and planning the lighting.

-  ADAM RATHE

But upon his first visit, an adjustment was required. "There were originally chairs in the room when it opened, and in 1961 Rothko came to visit the museum unannounced," says chief curator Elsa Smithgall. "He immediately told the guards that they needed to remove those chairs and that there needed to be a solitary bench. That change was made and has stayed true to this day."