Nude Seated on the Ground, Leaning to the Right, Legs Bent 

Mark Rothko drew ‘Nude Seated on the Ground, Leaning to the Right, Legs Bent’ with graphite on paper. Rothko, born in Russia, immigrated to the United States, where he initially created figurative works such as this drawing before his signature abstract style. This nude is not idealized; its very grounded pose and the absence of any background situates it as if it is in the same world as the viewer. As such the drawing develops an alternative narrative around the female form that embraces a degree of vulnerability. Consider the period it was made, and the lack of idealized female forms in popular culture. While Rothko later moved away from figurative art, his early works like this drawing provide insight into his artistic development and his engagement with the human figure. They reveal a commitment to exploring form and emotion, even in his more representational works.