A 1950 oil painting by the Latvia-born American artist Mark Rothko has sold for a record price of USD 72.8 million, the auction house Sotheby’s announced May 15 in New York.

The painting, “White Center (Yellow, Pink and Lavender on Rose),” was described by Sotheby’s as “the first fully-realized painting of Mark Rothko’s mature style—the canvas with which Rothko succeeded in articulating the painterly dialectic that he would maintain throughout the remaining decades of his career.” The Abstract Expressionist painting, never before offered at auction, was in the private collection of David and Peggy Rockefeller, who acquired it in 1960.

“At first glance, the unwary viewer might discern little more than a mere four shapes arrayed upon a ground,” art historian David Anfam wrote of the painting. “Look closer, though, and everything becomes changeful, nuanced and contrapuntal—like a fugue of feelings translated into colors.”

The auction house had estimated the Rothko painting would sell for more than USD 40 million. An anonymous bidder bought the painting.

The painting measures 205.8 centimeters by 141 centimeters (81 inches by 55.5 inches).

Rothko (1903-1970) was born Marcus Rothkowitz in Daugavpils. His family moved to the United States in 1913.

Latvian citizens abroad who wish to vote by mail in the upcoming referendum on changes to two national security laws have until June 16 to submit their requests and passports to one of 15 diplomatic representatives, the Central Election Commission has announced.

The list of countries is based on absentee voting activity in the last parliamentary election, the commission said in a May 15 press release.

Vote-by-mail requests will be received by the Latvian embassies in Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Georgia, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States. Requests also will be received by the consulates in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and in Adelaide and Melbourne, Australia.

Voters who expect to be abroad on July 7, the day of the referendum, have the right to request an absentee ballot. The request should include the voter’s name, personal identification number (personas kods) and address where the absentee ballot should be sent. The voter also must submit their Latvian passport.

A request for an absentee ballot must be mailed to one of the following locations:

• Australia (Adelaide): Honorary Consulate of Latvia, 648 South Road, Glandore 5037, South Australia, Australia.
• Australia (Melbourne): Honorary Consulate of Latvia, 2 Mackennel Street, East Ivanhoe VIC 3079, Australia.
• Belgium: Embassy of Latvia, 158 av. Molière, 1050 Brussels, Belgium.
• Brazil: Honorary Consulate of Latvia, Rua Jacques Felix 586, Ap.12, 04509-002 San Paulo, Brazil.
• Canada: Embassy of Latvia, 350 Sparks St., Suite 1200, Ottawa, Ontario, K1R 7S8, Canada.
• Denmark: Embassy of Latvia, 17 Rosbaeksvej, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.
• France: Embassy of Latvia, 6 Villa Said, 75116 Paris, France.
• Georgia: Embassy of Latvia, Rezo Tabukashvili ielā 17, 380008, Tbilisi, Georgia.
• Germany: Embassy of Latvia, Reinerzstr. 40-41, 14193 Berlin, Germany.
• Ireland: Embassy of Latvia, 92 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland.
• Norway: Embassy of Latvia, Bygdoy Allé 76, Post Box 3163 Elisenberg, 0208 Oslo, Norway.
• Russia: Embassy of Latvia, ul. Chapligina 3, 105062 Moscow, Russia.
• Sweden: Embassy of Latvia, Odengatan 5, Box 19167, 104 32 Stockholm, Sweden.
• United Kingdom: Embassy of Latvia, 45 Nottingham Place, London W1U 5LY, United Kingdom.
• United States: Embassy of Latvia, 2306 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008, United States.

At the embassy or consulate, the request and the passport will be reviewed. If all is in order, the passport will be stamped.

After June 16, the absentee ballot will be mailed to the voter and he or she will have until July 7 to return it.

Latvian citizens age 18 and older may vote in the referendum.

Serbia, in its first time competing, has won this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, outscoring its Slavic relatives Ukraine and Russia. That means Serbia will host next year’s contest.

The 2007 Eurovision contest’s final was held May 12 in Helsinki, Finland.

Serbia’s entry, the song “Molitva” performed by singer Marija Šerifović, won 268 points. Ukraine’s gender-bending Verka Serduchka, tapped by many oddsmakers as the sure winner, came in second with 235 points. The Russian trio Serebro and their “Song #1,” took third with 207 points.

Latvia’s Bonaparti.lv and the Italian-language song “Questa notte,” which made it through the May 10 semi-final to earn a spot in the final, scored 54 points for 16th place. If Latvia competes next year, it will have to again face other contenders in a semi-final bout.

Latvia earned 10 points each from Estonia, Ireland and Lithuania; 6 points from Slovenia; 4 points each from Malta and the United Kingdom; 3 points each from the Netherlands and Norway; 2 points from Romania, and 1 point each from Croatia and Poland;

Voters in Latvia cast their top points to Ukraine (12), Lithuania (10) and Belarus (8).

Voters in Ireland—which has seen great numbers of Baltic immigrants arrive in recent years—not only gave Latvia 10 points, but also gave Lithuania the top score of 12 points.