Rothko paintings are abstract expressionist pieces, well known for their images featuring large and luminous color blocks. Mark Rothko is most well known for the forms, figures and great color creation he delivered in the many paintings he created.

The first Rothko paintings were oriented towards social themes with expressionist and surrealist undertones. Their subjects were reflections of the influence of Max Weber, who provided Mark with first hand knowledge and enthusiasm for European modernism. Another artist who influenced Mark's work was Marc Chagall.

The frequent focal points for Rothko paintings were urban scenes and landscapes. Other than this, Mark's creations also included figurative works. His rough application of paint showcased the expressive side to the art of Rothko. This technique would later emerge as the distinctive style for which he would become vastly popular through the whole course of his impressive career.

Basquiat paintings sucked in and carried along an often intricate and complex journey through a maze of references, which often times made little rational sense, but nonetheless, fell like they have a reason for existence. They are mesmerizing, dense and full. They enveloped everything from the inner city kids' game called skellys to Sugar Ray Robinson, Miles Davis and Da Vinci.

Taking primacy in Basquiat paintings are actual words, etched in scrawl. Colliding with iconic images of crowns and skulls, they are considered perfectly placed streams of consciousness. A patron can get lost in this collision for hours on end. They prove to be a bit less dark than some of the later works of the artist.

Basquiat paintings take his patrons into the mind of a prodigal genius with flashes of an early style. Always present in these works is the ubiquitous trademark crown as well as the black background and mirrored images, boxers and skulls. The early Basquiat drawings hold the key to all his work, numbering to more than 2,000 from the ages of 19 to 27.