He was a hypochondriac, a friend of Milton Avery, a fan of Fra Angelico, and one of the greatest artists of all time. Like the religious painters of the early Rennaisance , Rothko tried to offer his own view of God and spirituality in art , not by representing crucifction scenes but rather by bringing the spiritual properties of color to the forefront of the canvas. His paintings are deceptive as they often apear simple and monochromatic but have translucency, purity and center. I know this all sounds pompous but hey, you could spend 12 bucks on something besides an Ansel Adams calendar.