Why did mark rothko refer to archetypes and mythic narratives in his early artworks?

Emigrated from Russia to the US and became interested in Surrealist art as a way to move beyond depicting familiar objects and to explore archetypes and mythic narratives that might generally appeal to any viewer regardless of his or her background.Eventually, Mark Rothko eliminated representation from his compositions and concentrated on form and color.

answer; ravenna,italy;