Study by observation. The female fist (8.12.1993) 1993

Alfred Freddy Krupa made this drawing, "Study by observation. The female fist," in red chalk on December 8, 1993. While seemingly a simple anatomical study, the drawing’s date situates it within a specific and turbulent sociopolitical context. Made in Croatia during the Croatian War of Independence, this drawing invites consideration of the body's role in conflict and resistance. The clenched fist is a loaded symbol – one historically associated with solidarity, defiance, and power, particularly within leftist political movements. By rendering the fist in a softer, more vulnerable light with red chalk, Krupa may be subtly commenting on the human cost of war, or the role of the individual within larger conflicts. Understanding this work fully requires that we investigate the complex history of the region, the visual culture of resistance movements, and the artist’s own biography. In doing so, we can begin to appreciate how even a seemingly simple sketch can speak volumes about the social conditions in which it was made.