The Jewess 1943

Editor: This is "The Jewess," an oil painting created by Jean Fautrier in 1943. It has this really textured surface and the form of a figure is barely visible beneath these rough layers. It feels almost like an archaeological dig site. What do you see in this piece beyond its materiality? Curator: It’s impossible to separate this image from the socio-political climate of its creation, 1943, during the Nazi occupation of France. Consider Fautrier's involvement with the Resistance; he was hiding Jews during this period. "The Jewess," while abstract, directly confronts the persecution and violence inflicted upon Jewish people. The heavily worked surface, the barely-there figuration… do you see how this communicates the dehumanization they experienced? Editor: Yes, now that you mention it, the heavy impasto almost buries the subject. It's as if the painting is concealing a terrible secret. Curator: Exactly. This is matter painting pushed to its limits, where the materiality of the work speaks to the physical and emotional impact of trauma. The figure, almost lost within the brown and grey palette, embodies the vulnerability and suffering of a persecuted group. The painting acts as a memorial, an indictment, and a testament to the power of art to address unbearable realities. Editor: So, beyond its aesthetic qualities, this piece carries an enormous historical weight, using abstraction to convey something profoundly real. It makes you wonder about the role of art during periods of intense social upheaval. Curator: Indeed. Fautrier gives form to the un-formable, making visible what many preferred to ignore, demanding the viewer confront the brutality of the time. Art becomes an act of bearing witness, of remembering. Editor: I see it now. Thank you. Curator: My pleasure. The painting serves as a reminder that art often works most powerfully when engaging with history's most challenging chapters.