Study of a Head [verso] 

Mark Rothko created this drawing, titled "Study of a Head," using graphite on paper. The composition features a head in profile at the upper left, delineated with crisp, dark lines, set against a lightly sketched figure. The stark contrast between the defined head and the barely-there body creates a visual hierarchy. Rothko's strategic use of line and space invites us to contemplate the relationship between visibility and invisibility, presence and absence. Is Rothko using the semiotic structure to suggest a focus on the intellectual over the physical? The head, rendered with clarity, could symbolize thought, while the faded body represents the ephemeral nature of the material world. Ultimately, the drawing compels us to consider how Rothko uses simple lines to explore complex ideas about perception, representation, and the subtle interplay between what is seen and unseen.