Russisch meisje, slapend naast de barak - Aat Breur-Hibma

A poignant graphite sketch by Dutch artist Aat Breur-Hibma, documenting life within the Ravensbrück concentration camp during the Second World War.

This graphite sketch by Aat Breur-Hibma captures a moment of quiet observation during her time in the Ravensbrück concentration camp. The composition features two figures: one seated in the background and another lying in the foreground. The artist employs a delicate, precise line to document the physical reality of her fellow prisoners. The work avoids sentimentality, focusing instead on the stark posture of the sleeping girl and the weary stillness of the seated figure.

Breur-Hibma produced a series of drawings during her internment, often working in secret. These sketches function as a visual diary, recording the conditions and the people she encountered. The paper itself, often salvaged or scraps, adds to the raw quality of the work. The artist uses minimal shading, relying on the clarity of her contours to define the forms. By capturing these figures in moments of rest, she provides a humanising perspective on a period defined by dehumanisation. The drawing is a direct, unadorned record of survival, reflecting the artist's ability to maintain her practice under extreme duress. Her work remains a significant historical document, offering a rare, intimate view of life within the camp system from the perspective of a prisoner. The composition is sparse, reflecting the limited resources available to the artist at the time, yet it conveys a sense of presence and gravity that transcends the simplicity of the medium.