Young Boy Seated Facing Left 

Mark Rothko made this drawing of a seated boy with pen and ink on paper. It’s a quick sketch; a preparatory study for a later, more developed work, maybe. Rothko was an American artist whose family emigrated from Russia in 1913. Although he is best known for his abstract paintings, this drawing shows an early interest in figuration. The image is sparse, but the boy's posture and downcast gaze evoke a feeling of melancholy and introspection. One can speculate about the social conditions that may have shaped Rothko's artistic vision. As an immigrant, he may have felt like an outsider. Perhaps he felt a sense of alienation that translated into his art. To understand art, we have to consider the specific historical context in which it was made, drawing on sources such as letters, archives, and other historical documents. Art reflects and responds to the social forces of its time.