Seated Woman 

Here we see Rothko's sketch, "Seated Woman," rendered with simple lines. Observe the woman’s downcast gaze and the intimate gesture of her hand touching her knee. This posture evokes a sense of introspection and quiet contemplation. The motif of a seated figure lost in thought appears throughout art history, from ancient depictions of melancholic muses to Rodin’s "The Thinker." The very act of sitting suggests stillness, a pause for reflection. Think of the classical philosophers depicted in similar poses, pondering the mysteries of existence. In Rothko's sketch, the absence of distinct facial features amplifies the universality of her emotional state. This resonates with our collective memory of private moments of contemplation, tapping into a deep, subconscious level. Such cyclical progression of symbols reveals how artistic expressions reflect and reshape our understanding of the human condition. The symbol resurfaces, evolves, and takes on new meanings in different historical contexts.