Two Seated Girls 

Editor: This drawing, simply titled "Two Seated Girls," is by Mark Rothko, sketched using pencil and ink. The girls seem almost swallowed by the negative space. There’s a stillness that feels… fragile. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Fragile, yes, that’s a perfect word. To me, it feels like a memory half-formed, clinging to the page. The loose lines, the tentative strokes, it's almost as if Rothko is reaching back, trying to grasp something ephemeral. It reminds me of those childhood moments where the world felt huge and slightly intimidating. What do you think creates that sense of vulnerability? Is it the girls’ downcast eyes? Editor: It could be. The older girl seems burdened by something, the way she’s slouched over, maybe a hint of melancholy. What's interesting is the way Rothko used shading – or didn't. It adds to the rawness. Curator: Absolutely. He doesn't smooth over the imperfections. This sketch lays bare the process of seeing, feeling. It's not just about representation; it's about the act of remembering, filtered through emotion. I see each line as a question, not an answer, capturing fleeting feelings instead of fixed realities, unlike some photographic realism. Do you feel that lack of "finish" makes it more powerful? Editor: I think so. The simplicity makes it more intimate, like a secret glimpse into a private moment. Rothko's known for his abstract color fields, so seeing him in this figurative style, so raw, it's surprisingly moving. Curator: Indeed, and seeing this, and holding that intimate gaze, illuminates how all those explorations into pure abstraction—what seemed new then—might actually come from a space deep within. Like revisiting that initial, vulnerable sketch of human experience...a full circle, I guess.