Figure Studies [verso] 

Mark Rothko created this sheet of figure studies using pen and ink. Rothko was born in Latvia in 1903, and his Jewish family immigrated to the United States when he was ten. These sketches, while simple, hint at themes of displacement and identity. We see isolated figures, confined spaces, and perhaps a sense of alienation. Rothko’s own experience as an immigrant, navigating a new culture and language, resonates within these images. The figures lack distinct features and the environments appear sparse, prompting questions about the nature of belonging and the search for self. Rothko would later say “I'm not interested in the relationship of color or form or anything else. I'm interested only in expressing basic human emotions — tragedy, ecstasy, doom, and so on.” This work, though not one of his signature color field paintings, lays bare some of the emotional groundwork for his later explorations of the human condition. It invites us to consider the emotional and psychological weight carried by those who are marginalized or displaced.