Seated Nude, Three-quarter View, Turned to the Right 

Mark Rothko, better known for his abstract paintings, made this drawing, "Seated Nude, Three-quarter View, Turned to the Right" using graphite on paper. Rothko rendered the nude figure with a sparse and economic line, a traditional subject explored through the medium of drawing, a practice strongly embedded in the history of fine art. The inherent qualities of graphite lend themselves to the creation of this image, from the smooth application creating the contours of the body, to the subtlety of shadow play. Rothko’s technique is reduced to its simplest expression; the bare minimum to convey a representational image. The work itself invites us to think about the process of drawing as an intimate engagement; a meeting point between the artist’s eye, hand, and the subject matter. It’s through this engagement, through the immediacy of his line that the artist invites us to consider the weight and significance of traditional art materials and practices.