Youth 

Ligia Macovei created this evocative drawing, titled 'Youth', using ink on paper. Her art is rooted in personal experience. Macovei was a Jewish woman living in Romania through World War II. Her experience of the world in general, and the Holocaust in particular, deeply influenced her life. The figure in this drawing can be seen to represent the cultural and artistic environment during and after the Second World War. The figure is nude, but modestly covered with organic embellishments, perhaps seaweed. We can see the influence of traditional life drawing, but the single-line style is reminiscent of much more modern movements such as surrealism. Romania went from monarchy to communist state during Macovei's lifetime. We might interpret this piece as a kind of quiet, artistic rebellion against any kind of authoritarian regime. To gain a better understanding of Macovei's place in twentieth-century art, it is important to look at the history of Romanian art institutions, as well as the complex political forces at play in her lifetime.