Seated man Seen from Above, Hands Folded 

Here is a drawing by Mark Rothko depicting a seated man, hands folded. The folded hands, a seemingly simple gesture, carry the weight of centuries. We see it echoed in countless portraits of philosophers, saints, and leaders. Think of the stoic philosophers of ancient Greece, their hands clasped in contemplation, or the devotional images of praying figures throughout Renaissance art. In each, this gesture conveys a sense of introspection, control, or quiet suffering. Yet, like a river carving a new path, the meaning shifts with each telling. In some contexts, it signifies pious devotion; in others, suppressed anxiety or a guarded secret. As an archetypal gesture, it speaks to a universal human experience—the quiet battle waged within. Rothko captures that powerful emotion, reminding us that even in stillness, a storm can brew. The gesture becomes a mirror reflecting our collective memories and unspoken anxieties back at us.