(Untitled) [verso] 

This is an untitled sketch, likely made by Mark Rothko, using ink on paper. At first glance, the composition seems to capture draped fabric, yet the execution is far from a straightforward representation. Notice how Rothko uses line—sparse in some areas, dense and hatched in others—to suggest form and shadow. The lines are not descriptive, but rather, they construct a sense of volume and depth. The eye is drawn into a play of light and dark, an almost sculptural rendering achieved through purely linear means. Considering Rothko’s later, monumental color field paintings, one might see this sketch as a foundational study in abstracting the emotional and spatial qualities of form. It destabilizes our expectations of what a sketch should be, functioning less as a study of an object and more as an exploration of form. This piece compels us to see beyond the literal, engaging with the underlying structures that give rise to meaning itself.