Seated Woman with Striped Top and other Study 

This is a drawing titled "Seated Woman with Striped Top and other Study" by Mark Rothko, though the exact date remains unknown. It's rendered with ink and graphite on paper. The composition is dominated by a seated figure outlined in brisk lines. The linear structure, juxtaposed with the paper's mottled surface, creates a tension between form and surface. The lines define the figure but also appear somewhat unstable, resisting a fixed representation. Another figure is sketched to the right, further fragmenting a cohesive visual narrative. Rothko's technique here echoes his wider interest in dismantling conventional artistic forms. The sketched figures and the textured background operate almost as conflicting signs, destabilizing traditional notions of portraiture. This piece can be seen as a semiotic challenge. Here, the interplay between line, form, and surface functions as a philosophical statement, one that challenges fixed meanings.