Vrouw met gesloten ogen en een vleugel Possibly 1943

Samuel Jessurun de Mesquita made this ink drawing, Vrouw met gesloten ogen en een vleugel, at an unknown date, now in the Rijksmuseum. The essence of drawing lies in its directness, a singular tool conveying the artist's vision from mind to paper. The quick, sure lines of ink capture the essence of the subject: a woman with closed eyes and a wing. This artwork stands as a testament to the artist's skill in using minimal means to evoke a world of emotion and imagination. Mesquita, however, faced a tragic end, murdered at Auschwitz during the Holocaust. In this context, even a simple drawing like this can become a poignant symbol of human fragility. It reminds us that art is not made in a vacuum. The artist's life experiences, including the wider currents of history, are inevitably woven into the very fabric of their work. This is an important reminder of the indivisibility of art, life, and the darkest episodes of modern history.