Vier figuren, waaronder een man met een baard en een vrouw met een onderkin Possibly 1943

This is an intriguing pencil drawing by Samuel Jessurun de Mesquita, created at an unknown date. Mesquita, a Portuguese-Jewish artist working in the Netherlands, tragically died in Auschwitz in 1944. The drawing shows four figures, including a man with a beard and a woman with a double chin. Though the date of this work is unknown, it's impossible to separate it from the dark shadow of Mesquita’s fate during the Holocaust. The Holocaust was a genocide in which approximately six million Jews were murdered by the Nazi regime. Considering this historical backdrop, there's a haunting quality to these faces. The rough, unfinished lines and the unconventional depiction of his subjects create a sense of unease. It’s a stark reminder of the identities erased and the stories silenced during that horrific period. The artist’s personal history as a Jew underscores the emotional weight of this piece. The drawing stands as a poignant symbol of loss and resilience amidst unimaginable adversity.