Seated Man with Arms and Legs Crossed 

Mark Rothko made this ink drawing, *Seated Man with Arms and Legs Crossed*, sometime in the mid-20th century. Though he’s best known for his large, luminous color field paintings, this work offers insight into Rothko’s early engagement with social themes. Executed with swift, economic lines, the drawing depicts a figure in a moment of repose. His posture and the book or newspaper in his hands suggests intellectual engagement or perhaps a commentary on the leisure of the modern man. In the context of post-war American art, Rothko, alongside other abstract expressionists, sought to explore universal human emotions. However, this work, though simple in its rendering, hints at the social realities of its time, reflecting on the place of the individual within a rapidly changing society. As art historians, we consider the social conditions that shape artistic production. Studying Rothko’s biography, period writings, and the cultural politics of the time helps us better understand how his art engaged with society.