Three Figures under Cover Outdoors 

Mark Rothko made this ink on paper drawing entitled "Three Figures Under Cover Outdoors", and though undated, it offers us a glimpse into his evolving artistic vision. Rothko, born in Latvia and an immigrant to the United States, navigated the complexities of identity and belonging. Here, the figures, rendered with sparse lines, are set within an ambiguous outdoor space which could also be an indoor stage. They seem to seek shelter, both physically and perhaps emotionally. The drawing’s simplicity belies the profound sense of alienation that Rothko himself experienced as a Jewish immigrant in a society grappling with discrimination and social upheaval. Rothko once said, "I'm not an abstractionist...I'm interested only in expressing basic human emotions—tragedy, ecstasy, doom, and so on." In this drawing, we see the seeds of his later abstract expressionist work. The figures, though present, are also dissolving, hinting at the universal human conditions that would become central to his art. This piece invites us to reflect on the ways in which we all seek refuge, connection, and meaning in a world that often feels isolating.