“The color, the light, the ancient architecture,” says the painter Stanley Whitney, “I never tire of contemplating Rome.” In fact, Whitney lived in Rome for five years during the 1990s and would wander the city’s grand streets, drawing inspiration from its churches and cathedrals. Other influences include jazz, Piet Mondrian, and quilt making, and they show in these paintings—grids vibrantly alive and free-form. The works communicate Whitney’s deep understanding of color as rhythm, color as space. —E.C.