The story is set in 1958 at a critical point in the career of the superstar abstract expressionist painter. Rothko has been challenged to create a definitive work of art for the exclusive Four Seasons restaurant. His problem: the threatening presence of a neophyte assistant, a voice of a new generation of artists that question Rothko’s theories and label him a sell-out. Surrounded by massive black and red canvases that pulsate with color, the result is an exhilarating and combative battle between student and master in search of the very highest art possible.