Nude Woman Seated in a Chair 

Mark Rothko created this drawing, "Nude Woman Seated in a Chair," with pen on paper. The lines, scribbled and frenetic, work together to define the space of the composition. This emphasis on line rather than tone gives the drawing an unfinished quality, yet one that offers an immediate glimpse into the artist’s process. The rapid marks, like semiotic codes, construct the figure; the woman’s form emerges through a network of lines, each stroke adding to the collective representation. Rothko uses the line to capture not just the figure, but also the form's relation to the structural foundations of shape and spatial relationships. The seemingly spontaneous construction through line reveals the artist's exploration of form, resulting in an image that emphasizes the act of seeing and representing. It invites us to consider the interplay between representation and abstraction.