Young Man Seated, Playing a Lute 

Editor: So, here we have “Young Man Seated, Playing a Lute,” a pencil drawing. It’s really intriguing how Rothko, known for his abstract paintings, created this figurative sketch. The loose lines almost give it a sense of…unfinished music? What's your take? Curator: You've hit on something beautiful there, with the 'unfinished music.' To me, the drawing feels incredibly intimate, like Rothko captured a private moment of contemplation. Look at how the lines aren't precise; they're suggestive, almost dreamlike. There's a vulnerability in the subject's posture, his downcast gaze, don’t you think? Editor: Absolutely! It's less about perfect representation and more about feeling. I hadn’t thought about it as vulnerability but I get it now. I guess the ethereal quality in his abstract paintings, you can find traces of that here in his early work with figures, too. Curator: Exactly! It's the precursor to his explorations of form and emotion on a larger scale. Notice how the lute, while central, is only suggested with lines. It is barely there, or is it a portal? A bridge to something more in this moment. Does it bring music into your mind's ear, and do the strokes allow the resonance of feelings to be expressed in tone. Rothko invites us to listen to a visual melody and wonder what this player’s tune may feel and sound like? What kind of music do you think he’s playing? Editor: Oh, wow, that's a gorgeous thought. A portal made of pencil strokes. That does put a whole new spin on it. Maybe it's not just a portrait; it’s a mood made visible. I see the sound of loneliness, maybe. I learned that looking at the piece in a sensorial fashion allowed a closer look. Thanks. Curator: Precisely. It is where listening becomes feeling; an intuitive harmony. These works of suggestion open doors, create possibilities to imagine music. What’s not to enjoy with what seems simple but allows for deep creative imagining?