Mark Rothko and his first wife, Edith Sachar, put down roots in a small apartment within a Greek Revival townhouse in Manhattan’s East Village neighborhood in the 1930s. There, the late abstract expressionist—famously known for his color field technique—created the painting titled “Thru the Window,” inscribing the back with the building’s address, “313 E 6th,” along with his signature.
The entire multifamily building sold for $45,000 in the 1970s to pioneering filmmaker Emile de Antonio, known for his documentaries on the Kennedy assassination and the Vietnam War. Later, artist Alfred Leslie used the garden level as his studio.
After a fire destroyed the top floor of the prewar dwelling in 2022, the vacant and gutted structure hit the market the following year for the first time in over five decades. Michael Auriemma, the retired principal of an international consulting firm, came along and scooped it up soon after for nearly $3.7 million, undertaking an extensive, multimillion-dollar restoration and renovation that included new plumbing and electrical systems, a structural steel roof, and the rear facade.
Now, almost two years later, the circa 1853 brownstone has emerged as a boutique two-unit condominium dubbed the Rothko House, with its triplex penthouse coming up for sale at $6.2 million; another triplex on the lower floors is expected to come online soon. Jeff Wachtenheim of Corcoran holds the listing.
Occupying the top three floors of the six-story structure, a flight up from the main entry, the triplex features a trio of bedrooms, three full bathrooms, and a powder room across roughly 2,800 square feet. Modernized interiors are punctuated with caramel-hued hardwood floors, high ceilings, brick accent walls, and decorative tile and millwork.
The lowest level is highlighted by a living room sporting large north- and south-facing windows. A dining area is flanked by a small space that could easily hold a bar, wine closet, or workstation, while the kitchen comes with custom cabinetry, a marble backsplash and countertops, an eat-in island, a Wolf range, and a breakfast nook with built-in banquette seating.
Two oversized en suite bedrooms on the second level are separated by a taupe-colored den. Rounding it all off is the spacious top-floor primary suite, which has a sliding glass door opening to a private terrace offering city skyline views encompassing the Freedom Tower, as well as a walk-in closet and a bath spotlighted by a freestanding oval soaking tub. There’s also $1,704 in monthly common charges.
Rothko, who died in 1970 at age 66, was just getting started in the 1930s when he posted up on East 6th Street. Today, his art regularly sells for many tens of millions of dollars. In 2024, hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin purchased his 1951 masterpiece “No. 6 (Violet, Green and Red)” via a Christie’s private sale for around $100 million.
