Mostly funded by the European Union, the Mark Rothko Arts Centre opened in Daugavpils, Latvia, on Wednesday. Six paintings from the private collection of the artist's daughter and son, who attended the opening, are showcased in the centre.

"This centre, I think, is going to become an important archive, an important resource for Rothko scholars to draw on, and also for Rothko's public," the artist's son Christopher Rothko told a news conference.

Born in 1903, when Latvia was part of Russia and Daugavpils was known as Dvinsk, Rothko emigrated to the United States at age 10 with his parents.

Known for abstractions, Rothko rose to become one of the most influential American artists of the 20th century. He committed suicide in 1970.