Seated Woman with Hands Together in Lap 

Mark Rothko created this sketch of a ‘Seated Woman with Hands Together in Lap’ using graphite on paper. Rothko, born in Latvia and an immigrant to the United States, lived through tumultuous times marked by war, migration, and the struggle for identity. This drawing, made early in his career, diverges from the abstract expressionism he’s known for. The woman's posture, with her hands clasped, tells a story of contemplation. Her expression seems to hint at resilience, a quiet strength in the face of adversity, mirroring the experiences of many immigrants during this period. Rothko himself stated, "I'm not interested in relationships of color or form or anything else. I'm interested only in expressing basic human emotions—tragedy, ecstasy, doom, and so on." The sketch invites us to reflect on the personal dimensions of historical experiences and consider how individual stories are interwoven with broader narratives of displacement and adaptation. It captures a moment of introspection, one that resonates with the universal human experience of seeking solace and strength in challenging times.