Angstig lagen de mensen bij elkaar, uitgeput na het werk - Aat Breur-Hibma

A poignant graphite sketch by Aat Breur-Hibma, documenting the exhaustion and shared vulnerability of prisoners during the Second World War.

This drawing by Aat Breur-Hibma captures a moment of profound human vulnerability. The title, which translates to 'Anxiously the people lay together, exhausted after work,' reflects the harrowing conditions experienced by prisoners during the Second World War. Breur-Hibma, a Dutch artist who was imprisoned in the Ravensbrück concentration camp, produced a series of sketches documenting the daily reality of camp life. Her work serves as a direct, unvarnished record of survival under extreme duress.

The composition focuses on a group of figures huddled together on the ground. Their postures are slumped, conveying a sense of total physical and mental depletion. The artist uses light, rapid graphite strokes to define the forms, prioritising the emotional weight of the scene over polished technique. The figures are rendered with a sense of urgency, as if the artist had to capture the image quickly to avoid detection. The lack of background detail forces the viewer to confront the isolation and shared misery of the subjects.

Breur-Hibma's draughtsmanship is characterised by a sensitive, observational quality. Despite the grim subject matter, the work retains a humanistic focus, documenting the quiet, desperate solidarity of those forced to endure inhumane circumstances. The torn edges of the paper suggest the precarious nature of these drawings, which were often hidden or smuggled out of the camp. This print offers a rare, authentic glimpse into the experiences of women in the resistance and the subsequent incarceration they faced. It is a stark reminder of the capacity for artistic expression to persist even in the most restrictive environments.