Two Figures Near the Waterfront [recto] 

Mark Rothko created the watercolor painting "Two Figures Near the Waterfront" on an unknown date. It presents a horizon line dividing earth from sky, with two dark figures looming in the foreground. What strikes me is the composition. Rothko renders the scene with broad, fluid washes of color. The figures, rendered as dark, amorphous forms, disrupt the landscape. The scene appears serene, yet the looming shapes could evoke a sense of unease. The loosely defined shapes and colors challenge fixed representation, reflecting the post-war shift towards abstraction. The absence of clear boundaries destabilizes traditional notions of form and space. In dismantling familiar visual structures, Rothko encourages a more subjective engagement with the artwork. The painting invites us to consider how we construct meaning. It's in this space, between the seen and the unseen, that art truly begins.