Standing Female Nude, Arms Behind Back, Gazing Down to Right 

Mark Rothko made this Standing Female Nude using ink on paper, but the speed of the work almost obscures those materials. See how Rothko sketched this nude female figure with simple strokes. These strokes have imbued the artwork with a sense of immediacy, capturing the human form through spontaneous gestures. The rapid lines suggest movement, a fleeting observation of the model. Notice how the ink bleeds slightly into the paper, emphasizing the raw and unfiltered quality of the work. Rothko engaged with traditions of life drawing but stripped away academic polish, and replaced that finish with an aesthetic born from Modernism. In doing so, Rothko seems less concerned with the objectification of the nude and more with the intimacy of the artistic process, challenging traditional distinctions between fine art and informal sketch.