The artwork titled “Underground Fantasy,” created by artist Mark Rothko circa 1940, is an exemplification of the Expressionism art movement. Classified under genre painting, this piece is currently housed at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., United States.
The artwork portrays an imaginative rendition of an underground scene, possibly within a subway or a similar urban setting. The composition features elongated, stylized figures, each imbued with a sense of individuality yet uniform in their otherworldly appearance. A man with an exaggerated, tall form is depicted reading a large newspaper, occupying the central focal point of the scene. To his left, a woman in a light dress walks with a somewhat melancholic demeanor, her posture and expression suggesting a moment of introspection. On the right side of the composition, a group of figures stands in close proximity to each other, seemingly engaged in their own thoughts. The tonal palette of muted earth tones and pastels enhances the surreal, dreamlike quality of the scene, while the simplified, almost abstract, forms convey a deeper emotional resonance typical of Rothko’s early work in Expressionism.