Woman on Seat Cushion, Knitting 

Mark Rothko made this drawing with graphite on paper, materials that are humble, immediate, and accessible. The medium is perfectly suited to Rothko’s subject: a woman captured in a moment of quiet labor. The soft, granular texture of the graphite lends a gentle quality to the woman’s form. The drawing, with its visible smudges, captures the physical act of making, mirroring the very activity depicted. Rothko’s choice to portray knitting – a repetitive, rhythmic process associated with domesticity – draws attention to the value of labor and the everyday. With such a mundane activity rendered in pencil, the artist is honoring the inherent qualities of simple materials. Through this work, Rothko quietly elevates both the act of creation and the worth of ordinary life, subtly challenging the traditional hierarchies between fine art and craft.