Avery, Gottlieb, Rothko: By the Sea

This exhibition will tell the story of the lifelong friendship between three towering figures in American art: Milton Avery (1885–1965), Adolph Gottlieb (1903–1974), and Mark Rothko (1903–1970), and highlight the inspiration they derived from summers in Gloucester, Massachusetts, on Cape Ann. Through approximately 75 paintings, drawings, prints, and watercolors from the 1920s to the 1960s, this exhibition will reflect for the first time the artistic exchange between these three artists, the experiences they shared, and the support that they provided to each other. Many works in this exhibition have never been on public view. 

This exhibition is organized by the Cape Ann Museum, Gloucester, Massachusetts, in partnership with The Phillips Collection.

Essential support for the Washington, DC, presentation of Avery, Gottlieb, Rothko: A Close Knit Trio is provided by the Linda Lichtenberg Kaplan Exhibition Fund. 

This exhibition is also made possible by Chevy Chase Trust; Stephanie and Greg Guyett; Paul W. Killian and Carole Goodson; and Alexi and Jeff Whitaker. 

With critical support from The Phillips Collection’s Exhibitions Endowment Fund

Milton Avery, Black Sea, 1959, The Phillips Collection, Acquired 1965; © 2025 Milton Avery Trust/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York