Babits: The book of Jonah II. 

Maria Bozoky made this ink drawing, Babits: The Book of Jonah II, which illustrates a poem by the Hungarian writer Mihály Babits. The story of Jonah is, of course, a meditation on duty, disobedience, and redemption, and Bozoky's gestural drawing captures the turmoil of the prophet's experience. Bozoky made this illustration in Hungary, a country with a rich literary culture, but also one with a complex political history in the 20th century. What does it mean to make art that illustrates a story about moral responsibility in a society that was, at the time, under authoritarian rule? The formal qualities of the drawing—its chaotic lines, its stark contrast—suggest a world out of joint, a world where the old rules no longer apply. To understand this work better, we might consult literary histories that discuss the relationship between Babits' poetry and the political climate of interwar Hungary. We might also look at the history of Hungarian art during this period, to see how other artists were responding to the same challenges.