Zittend naakt 1917

This is Samuel Jessurun de Mesquita's etching, "Zittend naakt," or "Sitting Nude." De Mesquita, a Portugese-Jewish artist working in the Netherlands, made this print with a distinctive, raw style which set him apart from his contemporaries. Here we see a shift in representation. The female figure is presented without idealization. She has a modern haircut, and her direct gaze confronts the viewer. This challenges the established conventions of the nude within Western art. The sitter is not an allegorical figure but rather a modern woman. There is something quietly radical in the representation. It marks a departure from traditional, often objectified, portrayals of women. Instead, she embodies a sense of self-possession, which is incredibly powerful. The history of this piece is particularly poignant. De Mesquita and his family were murdered at Auschwitz in 1944, underscoring the profound loss of his artistic vision. This etching invites reflection on the intersection of identity, representation, and the tragic impact of historical events on individual lives.