Vrouw met voedselrantsoenen in Ravensbrück - Aat Breur-Hibma

A poignant graphite sketch by Aat Breur-Hibma, documenting the daily struggle for survival within the Ravensbrück concentration camp.

This drawing by Aat Breur-Hibma captures a moment of stark reality from her time imprisoned in the Ravensbrück concentration camp. The artist, a Dutch illustrator and resistance member, documented the daily existence of fellow prisoners through small, clandestine sketches. Her work provides a direct, unvarnished record of the conditions faced by women in the camp.

The composition focuses on a single figure, depicted from a high angle, clutching a cup and a small bag. The lines are thin and economical, reflecting the limited materials available and the necessity of speed to avoid detection by guards. A separate study of a hand holding small rations sits to the right, emphasising the preoccupation with meagre sustenance. The figure is draped in a heavy, shapeless garment, her head covered, suggesting the anonymity and physical toll of camp life. The lack of background detail keeps the viewer focused on the individual experience of deprivation.

Breur-Hibma produced these drawings under extreme duress, often using scraps of paper found within the camp. Her ability to maintain a sense of observation while enduring such circumstances is evident in the precise, yet sensitive, handling of the pencil. The work avoids sentimentality, opting instead for a documentary approach that captures the posture of exhaustion and the focus on survival. This piece is a record of human resilience and the act of witnessing history through art. It serves as a reminder of the personal narratives often lost within larger historical accounts of the Second World War.