Dream 1997

Alexander Bogen made this ink drawing, called "Dream," at some point in the 20th century. The image presents a disturbing and enigmatic scene: a figure with a bandaged head, and an arm raised, as if in surrender. Bogen was a Jewish-Lithuanian artist who actively participated in partisan resistance during World War II. After the war, he dedicated himself to commemorating the Holocaust through his art. Against this backdrop, the image takes on deeper resonance. Is this a depiction of torture? Does it reflect the trauma and violence of war? It's difficult to say for sure, but we can consider how the artist's personal experiences, the historical context of the Holocaust, and the politics of memory might have influenced the creation of this artwork. What was the public role of art in the wake of such devastation? What is the relationship between aesthetics and ethics? By researching the artist's biography and the history of the Holocaust, we can better understand the social and cultural context in which it was made.